Yesterday in the House: MPs had a busy day yesterday granting five pending bills their final approval and forwarding them to Ittihadiya to be signed into law.

#1- Citizenship Act: Amendments to the Citizenship Act will make it easier for some foreignersto become Egyptian citizens and help the state to secure some much-needed hard currency. The changes will allow foreigners to acquire citizenship by purchasing real estate, investing directly in local projects, or depositing money with the central bank.

Final approval came despite opposition: Some MPs voiced opposition to the bill, saying foreigners who invest in the country should only be granted permanent residency; a number of them expressed skepticism that the bill would attract substantial inflows.

#2- Dog ownership: New, stricter rules on dog ownership will require dog owners to purchase licenses costing EGP 1k-50k. Unlicensed owners or owners whose animals attack other people could be fined and / or sent to jail. The amendments also introduce new regulations on the possession of dangerous animals.

#3- Tax-free Dabaa nuclear plant: The bill would hand tax exemptions to local andinternational companies working on the Dabaa nuclear plant.

#4- Manuscript protection: The bill aims to protect historic, hand-written Egyptian manuscripts through forming a specialized committee.

#5- Police academy: The approved amendments tighten rules on who is eligible to enroll in the police academy. It forbids people with dual nationality and those with relatives on the terror list from enrolling at the academy.

What’s next? The amendments will be handed to President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to be signed into law. They will then take effect when the executive regulations for each of them are published in the Official Gazette, a process that can take up to six months.

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