The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform
Egypt’s food subsidy system has been a mainstay of the government’s long-term policy of promoting social equity and political stability. It has also been a major component of the social safety net for the poor, guaranteeing the availability of affordable staples, helping to reduce infant mortality a...
| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Resumen |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
International Food Policy Research Institute
2001
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| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156581 |
| _version_ | 1855528786190139392 |
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| author | Ahmed, Akhter Gutner, Tamar Lofgren, Hans Bouis, Howarth E. |
| author_browse | Ahmed, Akhter Bouis, Howarth E. Gutner, Tamar Lofgren, Hans |
| author_facet | Ahmed, Akhter Gutner, Tamar Lofgren, Hans Bouis, Howarth E. |
| author_sort | Ahmed, Akhter |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Egypt’s food subsidy system has been a mainstay of the government’s long-term policy of promoting social equity and political stability. It has also been a major component of the social safety net for the poor, guaranteeing the availability of affordable staples, helping to reduce infant mortality and malnutrition, and mitigating the adverse effects of recent economic reform and structural adjustment.The cost of the system has declined considerably from 14 percent of government expenditures in 1980/81 to 5.6 percent in 1996/97. The absolute cost, however, remains high: In 1996/97,the total cost was 3.74 billion Egyptian pounds (LE)or about US$1.1 billion.The government and various stakeholders agree that the system’s costs can be further reduced and its efficiency improved with better targeting to the needy. The Egyptian Food Subsidy System: Structure, Performance, and Options for Reform evaluates the economic, political, and technical feasibility of reducing costs while improving or maintaining the welfare of the poor.The report addresses five questions: (1)How well does the present system target the poor? (2)How much leakage — the pilferage of subsidized foods in the distribution channel —occurs? (3)At what cost does the government transfer income to the needy? (4)How can subsidies be better targeted to the needy?and (5)What are politically feasible options for reform? |
| format | Abstract |
| id | CGSpace156581 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2001 |
| publishDateRange | 2001 |
| publishDateSort | 2001 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1565812025-03-18T18:50:42Z The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform Ahmed, Akhter Gutner, Tamar Lofgren, Hans Bouis, Howarth E. subsidies food prices welfare economics poverty food aid Egypt’s food subsidy system has been a mainstay of the government’s long-term policy of promoting social equity and political stability. It has also been a major component of the social safety net for the poor, guaranteeing the availability of affordable staples, helping to reduce infant mortality and malnutrition, and mitigating the adverse effects of recent economic reform and structural adjustment.The cost of the system has declined considerably from 14 percent of government expenditures in 1980/81 to 5.6 percent in 1996/97. The absolute cost, however, remains high: In 1996/97,the total cost was 3.74 billion Egyptian pounds (LE)or about US$1.1 billion.The government and various stakeholders agree that the system’s costs can be further reduced and its efficiency improved with better targeting to the needy. The Egyptian Food Subsidy System: Structure, Performance, and Options for Reform evaluates the economic, political, and technical feasibility of reducing costs while improving or maintaining the welfare of the poor.The report addresses five questions: (1)How well does the present system target the poor? (2)How much leakage — the pilferage of subsidized foods in the distribution channel —occurs? (3)At what cost does the government transfer income to the needy? (4)How can subsidies be better targeted to the needy?and (5)What are politically feasible options for reform? 2001 2024-10-24T12:44:41Z 2024-10-24T12:44:41Z Abstract https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156581 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ahmed, Akhter U.; Gutner, Tamar; Lofgren, Hans; Bouis, Howarth E. 2001. The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform. Research Report Abstract 119. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156581 |
| spellingShingle | subsidies food prices welfare economics poverty food aid Ahmed, Akhter Gutner, Tamar Lofgren, Hans Bouis, Howarth E. The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform |
| title | The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform |
| title_full | The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform |
| title_fullStr | The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform |
| title_short | The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform |
| title_sort | egyptian food subsidy system structure performance and options for reform |
| topic | subsidies food prices welfare economics poverty food aid |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156581 |
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