Gov’t to meet constitutional requirements on health, education spending next fiscal year

The government will meet constitutional requirements for spending on health and education in the FY2017-18 budget, promised Prime Minister Sherif Ismail in press statements on Tuesday. The constitution mandates that health and education spending amount to 8% of total state expenditures. Ismail did not elaborate, but he had previously stated that total expenditures will surpass EGP 1.1 tn. Deputy Finance Minister Mohamed Maait had said that increased spending on health — likely due to the rollout of the Universal Healthcare Act — and education were behind the rise in expenditures. Ismail added that the budget is still being drafted and will be ready to present before the cabinet’s economic group at its next meeting, Al Masry Al Youmreports.