Egypt imposes strict measures on illegal construction
The authorities in Egypt are seeking, under the Emergency Law, to limit illegal constructions and the exploitation by some of the state’s preoccupation with the coronavirus.
CAIRO — The Egyptian authorities are cracking down on illegal construction in a bid to prevent the exploitation of the state’s preoccupation with the coronavirus crisis in order to build more unauthorized buildings.
In a televised conference during the inauguration of the Bashayer El-Kheir 3 housing project in Alexandria on May 21, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on the authorities to introduce legislative reforms to tighten penalties on violators. He also called for bringing to justice those who construct unlicensed buildings as a preliminary step for their trial.
Sisi said that illegal construction is “worse” than terrorism. “We are not going to chase slums forever, this should end,” he said.
Egypt has seen a remarkable rise in illegal buildings amid the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising. Many people built multi-story buildings without obtaining the necessary permits or complying with safety standards.
