The PM announced the news at the weekly cabinet press conference following the cabinet meeting at the New Administrative Capital.

The PM explained that the social protection package would be implemented in two phases.

The first phase would start in March at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. The second comprises increasing salaries and pensions, set to take effect on 1 July.

In January, President El-Sisi directed the government to introduce a new social protection package in 2025 to help citizens meet the cost of living.

During the presser, PM Madbouly added that the National Wages Council (NWC) is monitoring the implementation mechanisms of the new minimum wage in the private sector.

Earlier this week, the NWC raised the minimum wage for private sector workers to EGP 7,000, effective 1 March.

The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) reported in 2024 that the total number of employees in the public sector and public business sector reached 663,300 in 2023.

The National Authority for Social Insurance announced this week that the number of living pensioners receiving their pensions has reached 4,665,086 citizens.

Additionally, the number of beneficiaries from pensioners' entitlements stands at 6,668,719 citizens.