A file photo of Egypt's Parliament (Photo: Reuters)
Egyptian MPs approved on Sunday new amendments to the Tax Procedures Law (no.206/2020).
A report prepared by parliament's budget and planning committee said that amendments to articles 13, 70, 73 and 74 will be amended to fight different forms of tax evasion.
"Those who will fail to submit their tax statements on time or try in any way to dodge paying taxes will face tougher penalties such as paying a fine ranging from EGP 50,000 to EGP 2 million," said the report.
Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal decided that the amended law is to be sent to the State Council to be revised in constitutional and legal terms.
They also approved a presidential decree (no. 404/2020) on an agreement between the government of Egypt and the French Development Agency.
A report said the agreement seeks to modernise food wholesale markets, improve food supply and quality, streamline logistical services and develop a new and clear-cut strategy for trade in food products. The French Development Agency will provide 700,000 euros to implement the agreement.
Parliament also provisionally approved a draft law on increasing the salaries of teachers in public schools and Al-Azhar institutes.
A report by parliament's education committee said the law aims to improve the financial conditions of 2.1 million teachers in public and Azhar schools by increasing their monthly salaries.
"This will cost EGP 6.1 billion worth of increases and insurance payments," said the report, adding that "according to the law, teachers in pre-university schools will get a monthly increase ranging from EGP 325 to EGP 475."
Minister of Education Tarek Shawki said the increase in salaries of teachers comes as part of efforts aimed at improving performance in public schools in general. He also vowed that the Ministry of Education will forge a new strategy for addressing the problem of high fees imposed by private language and international schools.
Short link: