MP Abul-Fotouh: Selling Free Pilgrimage Visas Is a Scandal For Egypt’s Gov’t

Brotherhood MP Saber Abul-Fotouh said it”s scandal and an indication of the economic failure of the government to sell 10,000 pilgrimage visas offered for free to Egypt by Saudi Arabia to travel agencies for 120 million Egyptian pounds.

 

In a statement to MB Bloc’s website, he said that the decision is similar to other decisions made by the Minister of Finance, which only add to the suffering of the Egyptian people, like the recent Traffic Law.

 

He added that the levying policy of the government indicate that it has no clear vision to cover the budget deficit, and that the economic failure of the businessmen cabinet became its key feature.

 

Egypt“s PM Ahmad Nazif, who is also Head of the Higher Committee for Pilgrimage, has requested the Tourism Minister Zoheir Garana to utilize Egypt“s share from free pilgrimage visas through buying 10,000 with 120 million pounds.

 

 “Citizens Against Price Hikes” has filed a complaint to the Prosecutor General accusing Nazif and Garana of trading in pilgrimage visas.

 

During the last five years, Egypt has given up 17,000 out of 75,000 visas in protest against the Saudi authorities allocation of pilgrimage visas by 25% for each country to stay in Mena developed area, after Mena district has become increasingly condensed. The conflict on visas, whose profits exceeded one billion, grew between the Ministries of Interior and Tourism which urged the government to make use of its full share this year.