October 31, 2026
A consultative meeting was held at the headquarters of the National Federation of Trade Unions and Employees, devoted to presenting the draft general budget for the year 2027 and discussing its economic and social implications, with the participation of representatives of trade union bodies and federations, and in the presence of researcher Muhammad Shams El-Din, who provided an analytical reading of the project’s most prominent items, numbers, and directions.
The meeting was opened by the president of the union, Castro Abdullah, reviewing the union’s position rejecting the continued burden of the costs of the crisis on workers and low-income people. Abdullah stressed the need to correct wages, protect end-of-service compensation, and enhance social guarantees and services and public services. He pointed out that the general budget expresses economic and social options that determine the identity of the beneficiaries of spending and the groups that bear the burden of taxes, considering that the evaluation of the budget must be based on the extent of its response to the needs of citizens, the fair distribution of burdens, and its ability to support production and provide social protection.
For his part, researcher Muhammad Shams El-Din gave a detailed presentation in which he addressed the structure of expenditures and revenues in the draft 2027 budget, the realism of financial estimates, public spending priorities, and sources of treasury financing. He explained that the estimated expenses and revenues amount to about seven billion and 26 million dollars. In contrast, the expected revenues from the value-added tax amount to about two billion and 300 million dollars, constituting alone approximately one-third of the total revenues. In addition, $748 million in import duties, $435 million in gasoline duties, $298 million in fiscal stamp duty, and $147 million in administrative fees.
The total proceeds of these items related to consumption, import, transportation and transactions amounted to about three billion and 928 million dollars, equivalent to 56 percent of the total estimated revenues, and these are burdens that are directly reflected in the prices of basic goods and services for citizens. On the other hand, Shams al-Din pointed out that the estimated revenues from taxes on profits do not exceed $476 million, while the expected revenues from the tax on built properties amount to only about $48 million, a disparity that raises serious question marks about the fair distribution of the tax burden, the effectiveness of tax collection, and the extent to which those with large profits and wealth contribute to financing the state.
The presentation touched on the increase in a number of fees that directly affect citizens and students, such as the fees for running for the “brevet” certificate, which reached two million liras, and for high school, which reached three billion liras, in addition to the increase in the ID issuance fee to one million liras. These burdens accumulate on families who have more than one child in the education sector, with incomes unable to keep up with the costs of living.
In a statement issued by it, the Union wondered why it continued to target the pockets of workers and the poor, at a time when state rights require more serious and transparent collection. He called for activating the collection of dues resulting from the occupation of marine public property, prosecuting infringements on them, and applying fines against violators instead of leaving public money vulnerable to laxity and settlements. He also called for publishing clear data for public opinion about the occupancy, the amounts resulting from it, the arrears, and the reasons for not collecting them.
The Union stressed that collecting these wasted revenues, in addition to combating tax and customs evasion, improving the management of state property, and scrutinizing the declaration of profits, could reduce the burdens on popular groups and establish tax justice based on progressive taxes and fair contributions according to actual financial capacity.
On the other hand, Shams El-Din’s presentation showed that salaries, compensation, and end-of-service expenses account for about four billion dollars, or approximately 57 percent of total expenditures, in conjunction with limited investment spending directed towards production and development. He stressed that addressing this imbalance requires protecting the rights of workers and retirees, combating waste, and providing sufficient funds for the sectors of formal education, health, social protection, and infrastructure.
The presentation also stopped when a number of program laws were abolished, stressing the importance of maintaining necessary projects, such as constructing government buildings to reduce the cost of rents, completing land surveys, consolidating properties, and protecting public property, while raising questions about the realistic extent of some appropriations in light of the continuing rise in costs. The meeting concluded with an open discussion in which representatives of unions and bodies participated by asking questions and interventions about the project’s items, which were answered by researcher Muhammad Shams El-Din.
