Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy said that the referendum on the constitution is proceeding in accordance with the transitional period plan, which would allow the referendum to be held in mid-January 2014.
“Everyone should be involved because we are building a liberal and democratic state that respects human rights,” he said.
Addressing a conference to encourage investment on Monday, Beblawy said the government will not abolish subsidies but will rationalize them gradually over five to seven years. “We will start [the process] in the last months of this government,” he said.
On the status of the Muslim Brotherhood, the prime minister said he does not know if the judiciary has the authority to label it as a terrorist organization. “We carried out the court ruling banning its activities,” he said. “The government said the group does not exist legally.”
He also said the government is regulating tenders so as to prevent corruption or manipulation.
On the “Goodwill Law,” Beblawy explained that the basic idea of it is to prevent penalizing innocent people. “The government is working on that law and others to encourage investment,” he said.
He said the Suez Canal project is progressing under the supervision of the Suez Canal Authority. “We will complete the studies in December and offer it to international consultants,” he said.
The prime minister added that there are no restrictions on imports and that the exchange rate has begun to stabilize. “Investors who deposited their money in banks have the right to take it out,” he said.
Beblawy said the government has made significant progress regarding the security situation. “Dispersing the Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins in one day is an example,” he said. “Also, the Kerdasa operation was carried out without injuries, and the armed forces and police have succeeded in thwarting terrorist schemes in Sinai.”
Regarding the law on protests, he argued it is designed to protect citizens and the right to demonstrate, pointing out that the Cabinet took into consideration some remarks by the State Council on the law and discarded others. “This is how a wise government works,” he said.
He concluded by saying that Egypt is part of the world and needs to open to it.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
