The programme – a cornerstone of Egypt's social protection system – has been allocated a budget of EGP 41 billion in the current fiscal year, Minister Morsy said in a statement on Monday.

The current budget allows the scheme to reach up to 21 million citizens, representing 5.2 million families, Morsy added.

The programme, launched in 2015, aims to support impoverished families with school-age children, elderly individuals, and people with special needs, particularly in Upper Egypt.

Women make up the vast majority of the scheme’s beneficiaries.

As of March, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi raised Takaful and Karama benefits by 15 percent as part of a broader social protection package to alleviate the financial strains on citizens.

Each family registered in the scheme now receives an average of EGP 620-740 monthly.

In recent months, Egypt has grappled with a foreign currency crunch, soaring global commodity prices, and disruptions to international supply chains, leading to a raised cost of living.

The government raised the budget for subsidies and social protection networks for the 2024/2025 fiscal year to EGP 635.9 billion, up from EGP 529.7 billion (around $17.1 billion) in the fiscal year 2023/2024.

Egypt is a leading country in the Middle East and North Africa in providing social protection programmes, according to a 2023 World Bank report.