The long-awaited bill will replace a 2019 law that has proved problematic for citizens wishing to reconcile with state authorities on their construction violations.

The new draft bill will make it easier for owners of illegal buildings to reconcile with municipal authorities and go legitimate in return for paying reconciliation fees, said Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Alaaeddin Fouad.

The amendments aim to “pave the way for a new construction code that all will respect," Fouad told the joint committee.

The government, Fouad noted, had heavily discussed the bill to guarantee all issues related to construction violations would be solved.

The bill grants a 25 percent discount to those who pay reconciliation fees in full or through instalment payments over no more than five years.

It will also legalize constructions that were illegally built on state-owned lands or with a distinct architectural style in return for paying the reconciliation fees.

The bill mandates the formation of committees in all governorates to examine the reconciliation requests.

The government will direct the collected reconciliation fees toward building housing units for low-income citizens, said the parliamentary affairs minister.

Mohamed El-Fayoumi, head of the housing committee, said the bill “serves the interests of citizens as it helps them resettle construction disputes and violations in a much easier way."

It also helps put an end to the informal housing phenomenon, which has swept the country since the 1980s and led to the proliferation of haphazard communities and slum areas, said Al-Fayoumi.

Ahmed El-Signi, head of the local administration committee, said hopes are high that the new bill will solve the problems faced by citizens under the current 2019 reconciliation law.

El-Sigini estimated the construction violations at around 2.8 million.

The new bill is expected to be on the agenda of the parliament's debates when it reconvenes next Sunday 19 November.