2023-07-27 23:51:08
Faced with the devastating heat wave that is sweeping the country, Egypt is forced to implement an energy rationing strategy in order to maintain the integrity of its electricity networks.
This initiative, announced by Prime Minister Moustafa al-Madbouly, involves regular power cuts of one to two hours a day during the period of extreme heat.
To alleviate energy demand, the government has also decided to adopt a teleworking policy for its non-essential civil servants, and invited the private sector to follow its example. However, despite the administration’s efforts to minimize the impact of these cuts on daily life, public reaction has been largely negative, with complaints on social media regarding longer and more frequent cuts than expected.
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The situation is aggravated by the fragility of the Egyptian economy, already weakened by inflation and currency depreciations. The country’s ability to import essential goods is increasingly limited, which exacerbates general discontent.
It is an alarming echo of the 2013 energy crisis, under President Mohamed Morsi, which culminated in mass protests and his overthrow by the military. In response to this crisis, the Egyptian government signed a six billion euro agreement with Siemens in 2015, aimed at doubling the country’s electricity production by building three major power plants.
However, these efforts are now hampered by the depletion of Egypt’s foreign exchange reserves and an ever-increasing debt, a situation made worse by the economic repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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