File Photo: Egypt's government is working to put various mechanisms in place to end the power cuts crisis. REUTERS
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly will deliver TV remarks later on Tuesday to explain the aspects of the crisis and the government’s plan to address them, the cabinet said in a statement.
Prolonged power cuts this week, with a scorching heatwave nationwide, have caused a public uproar questioning the government’s inability to secure required natural gas.
Earlier this week, the ministries of electricity and petroleum announced a one-hour extension of power cuts nationwide throughout the week, upping the official outage duration to three hours.
However, reports indicate that many areas have experienced outages lasting up to five hours per day since the recent decision took effect on Sunday.
The ministries said in a joint statement that the extension will be applied because of the increasing average electricity usage due to rising temperatures and the increased consumption of energy-generating gas.
Immediate action
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi instructed the government on Tuesday to take immediate action and implement necessary measures to reduce power outages and ensure their fair distribution.
A high-level source said the president also ordered the government to focus on addressing the crisis in full to end it as soon as possible.
Madbouly added that the government is working to put various mechanisms in place to end the crisis as soon as possible in coordination with relevant ministries and state bodies.
The extended power cuts have left people across Egypt working and living in darkness, without fans or air conditioners for several hours amid soaring temperatures.
Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius in Cairo and 45 degrees Celsius in South Sinai and Upper Egypt during June.
The outages have also burdened the Thanaweya Amma (national high-school system) students, who are currently studying for their decisive Thanaweya Amma exams which started in June and extend until 20 July.
Fierce criticism
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Alaa El-Din Fouad received criticism from parliament members regarding the government's load-shedding programme during a plenary session on Tuesday.
He promised the House of Representatives that efforts will be made to reduce the duration of power cuts as much as possible, starting in early July.
Fouad acknowledged the hardships faced by the public, emphasizing that the cabinet meeting on Tuesday will address the issue and determine the quantities of additional natural gas required to ensure power stations can operate at full capacity.
Furthermore, TV hosts have been vocal in their criticism of the government on their talk shows and social media platforms, accusing the cabinet of failure to manage the crisis.
TV presenter Lamis El-Hadidy has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, questioning the government's inability to import the necessary quantities of gas despite substantial foreign currency inflows in recent months.
“Where did the money go?” El-Hadidy addressed Madbouly on Twitter.
“Why didn't you have any plans in place to address the gas shortage? Enough with the excuse of the heatwave, because you are cutting off electricity in both hot and cold weather,” she said.
El-Hadidy also underlined that ongoing debts to foreign petroleum companies have been one of the reasons for the gas shortage.
A year of power cuts
According to the government, the load-shedding programme has been in place since July 2023, as power stations face increased pressure due to a drop in gas pressure caused by high local consumption during hot months.
In May, President El-Sisi stated that the load-shedding programme aims to spare citizens from bearing the actual cost of electricity, which he said is double or triple the current cost.
In addition, the government has raised electricity prices multiple times over the past decade, with the latest increase ranging from 16 percent to 26 percent between January and 30 June 2024.
Last April, Cabinet Spokesman Mohamed El-Homsany stated that the load-shedding programme saves the country nearly $1 billion annually, which can be allocated to purchasing essential commodities.
Additionally, Madbouly directed the ministers of electricity and petroleum in May to develop a plan to eliminate the load-shedding power cuts by the end of the year.
Short link: