In its meeting today, headed by Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, the Council of Ministers approved several decisions:
1. The Council of Ministers approved a draft law amending some provisions of the Electricity Law promulgated by Law No. 87 of 2015, with the aim of increasing the penalties prescribed for crimes related to seizing electricity and exercising state rights.
The amendment included Article 70, so that its new text reads: Anyone who, while performing his job duties in the field of electricity activities or because of them, commits acts that include Connecting electricity to any individual or entity in violation of the provisions of this law and the decisions implementing it, or knowing that any violation of electricity delivery had been committed and did not take the initiative to inform the competent authority. The court shall oblige the convict to return double the value of the electrical current consumption seized in this case, in addition to intentionally abstaining. For providing any of the licensed services without excuse or legal support, provided that the penalty shall be doubled at its minimum and maximum levels in the event of recidivism.
The amendment also included Article 71, with its new text being: He shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of not less than one year and a fine of not less than one hundred thousand pounds and not more than one million pounds, or with one of these two penalties. Whoever unlawfully seizes electricity, the penalty shall be doubled at its minimum and maximum levels in the event of a recidivism. If this crime results in a power outage, the penalty will be imprisonment.
The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of not less than two years and a fine of not less than two hundred thousand pounds and not more than two million pounds, or one of these two penalties, if the crime referred to in the previous paragraph is committed through intentional interference in the operation of equipment, tasks, or devices related to the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity in accordance with The technical controls stipulated in the executive regulations of the law, and the penalty is doubled at its minimum and maximum levels in the event of recidivism.
In all cases, the court shall oblige the convict to return twice the value of the seized electrical current, in addition to obligating him to pay the expenses of returning the thing to its original state, if necessary.
The amendment included the addition of a new article to the aforementioned Electricity Law, No. 71 bis, which stipulates that the victimized party has the right to reconcile with the accused in the crimes stipulated in Articles 70 and 71, if he pays, before filing the criminal case to the competent court, in exchange for paying the value of the consumption. The seized electrical current, or if he pays after the criminal case is filed with the competent court and until a final ruling is issued, in exchange for payment of double the value of the consumption of the seized electrical current, or if he pays after the ruling becomes final, in exchange for payment of three times the value of the consumption of the seized electrical current.
In all cases of reconciliation stipulated in this Article, if the crimes stipulated in Articles 70 and 71 result in the destruction of equipment, supplies, or devices related to the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity; The applicant for reconciliation is obligated to pay the value of what was destroyed.
In all cases, the value of the reconciliation fee is doubled in the event of recidivism, and the reconciliation results in the expiry of the criminal case and all the consequences resulting from the ruling, as the case may be, and the Public Prosecution orders the suspension of the implementation of the penalty if the reconciliation takes place during its implementation.
2. Approval of the draft Cabinet decision to establish a private free zone in the name of “LT Jeans Services” LLC on a plot of land with an area of about 22.8 thousand square meters, in the Fourth Industrial Zone in Sadat City, Menoufia Governorate, in order to practice the activity of manufacturing and washing ready-made clothes.
The project is being implemented with a capital of $10 million, and targets an annual production volume of about 2.850 million pieces of clothing annually. It also provides job opportunities. It is scheduled to accommodate about 750 workers, especially from rural areas, in a way that enhances the goals of sustainable development, and seeks to achieve a 75% local component, and 100% export abroad, by taking advantage of the advantages of Egypt’s location close to foreign markets, as well as the quality of Egyptian cotton. The project’s proximity to raw materials; and export ports; The project also adopts the use of modern technology, including advanced machines and computer design programs.
The importance of the project comes as the ready-made clothing industry in Egypt is one of the most important industrial sectors that contribute significantly to the growth of the Egyptian economy, as its exports amount to 7% of total Egyptian exports, and it employs more than 1.5 million workers.
3. The Council of Ministers approved the renewal of the contract with the Egyptian Telecom Company, to provide the requirements required for the work of the unified government complaints system, including communications systems and technical solutions to cover call center activities and outsourcing services, for a period of one year starting from the date of expiry of the last contract, within the framework of caution. To enhance the work of the system and its role in interacting, receiving and monitoring citizens’ complaints in various sectors, and coordinating with various parties to resolve them in a way that contributes to meeting their demands effectively.
4. The Council of Ministers reviewed the steps for implementing the electrical interconnection project between Egypt and Greece, the progress achieved in this regard, and future steps for developing the project, in light of the Egyptian state’s keenness to complete this project due to its positive impact on the exchange of electrical energy between the two countries to support economic efforts.
5. The Council of Ministers approved the signing of two power purchase agreements between the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company and the (Masdar – Infinity – Hassan Allam) alliance, for the two projects scheduled to be implemented to produce electricity from solar energy with a total capacity of 1,200 megawatts, in addition to storage batteries with a total capacity of 720 megawatt hours, provided that Their trial operation will take place during the year 2025, where the first project will be at the Benban station with a capacity of 300 megawatts in addition to 60 megawatts of storage batteries, and the second will be at the oasis site with a capacity of 900 megawatts in addition to 660 megawatts of storage batteries.
