Egypt revokes ration cards of half-million citizens
The ration cards of hundreds of thousands of Egyptians have been revoked to lighten the state's subsidy bill in response to the International Monetary Fund conditions and the rising cost of wheat imports.
CAIRO — Egypt's Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade will stop issuing subsidy ration cards for Egyptians traveling outside the country, including those who have been abroad for more than three consecutive months, ministry adviser Amr Madkour announced June 5.
Madkour explained in a statement to el-Watan that the ministry will implement the measure in cooperation with the Interior Ministry's passport department.
On June 1, the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade announced that nearly half a million Egyptian citizens have already been removed from the ration cards system.
On June 2, ration card holders were requested to obtain their bread rations on a daily basis. Those who did not pick up their rations for three days can no longer take the entire amount at once and must wait 48 hours for the rest, according to the decision.
