The People’s Assembly overwhelmingly approved a government bill on Monday that will increase tax revenues in an attempt to cover the costs of implementing the 30 per cent increase in public sector salaries promised by President Hosni Mubarak in his May Day speech. The cost of petrol is to be increased, with some diesel prices increasing by 35 piastres (47 per cent) per litre; Octane 90 and 92 by 45 piastres (32 per cent) per litre and Octane 95 by LE1 (75 per cent). In justifying the above package of measures, the Budget Committee report confirmed that in the wake of dramatic rises in the prices of food products and commodities on world markets, President Hosni Mubarak had asked the government to raise the salaries of public sector employees by 30 per cent, increase bonuses payable to local administration employees and double the number of families entitled to subsidised food products accessed through ration cards from five to 10 million. While NDP MPs rallied behind the government, independent MP Mustafa Bakri accused Ezz, chairman of the Budget Committee and the NDP’s secretary for organisational affairs, of marshalling NDP MPs so as to stifle debate. Read More