Abstract
Egypt has a very expensive and extensive food subsidy system representing a heavy burden on the State’s public budget. At the same time, however, these subsidies secure the livelihood of the most vulnerable part of the Egyptian population. While this situation is not sustainable in its current form, no agreement on the extent of the reforms needed and how they should be conducted has yet been reached. This research aims to examine the different viewpoints of stakeholders involved in this issue as well as it intends to investigate the position of different international agencies on food subsidies in general, and in Egypt in particular. Furthermore, does this thesis look at how international agencies influence government decisions on food subsidy reforms and it attempts to determine the other factors of importance in this matter. The analysis is being based on publications from these institutions and on interviews conducted with stakeholders involved in food subsidies reforms. This allowed us to conclude that all actors agree on the fact that the Egyptian food subsidy system needs to be reformed due to its high cost and because it is not sufficiently targeted and suffers important leakages. Regarding the changes that should be introduced, two main positions can be identified; the financial institutions advocate for an immediate switch to a less costly cash transfer system, while the UN organizations, although not against cash transfers, argue that those are not sufficient in protecting the livelihood of the poor in Egypt and are rather in favor of keeping and improving the current systems.
Department
Public Policy & Administration Department
Degree Name
MA in Global Affairs
Graduation Date
2-1-2013
Submission Date
December 2013
First Advisor
Awad, Ibrahim
Committee Member 1
Abdel Halim, Khaled
Committee Member 2
Shaheen, Magda
Extent
64 p.
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Library of Congress Subject Heading 1
Intertiol agencies -- Egypt -- 21st century.
Library of Congress Subject Heading 2
Food security -- Egypt -- 21st century.
Rights
The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
Approval has been obtained for this item
Recommended Citation
APA Citation
Di Pietrantonio, M.
(2013).International agencies and the reform of food subsidies in Egypt after the revolution of 2011 [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/945
MLA Citation
Di Pietrantonio, Marie. International agencies and the reform of food subsidies in Egypt after the revolution of 2011. 2013. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/945