Egypt’s parliament approved on Monday an article from the Antiquities Protection Law that would stipulate strict financial fines for those who harass tourists at archeological sites.
The penalties in the law include imposing financial fines of up to LE 10,000 on any one who harasses tourists while they are inside touristic sites or museums or those with the intention of begging, promoting, offering or selling a good or service in favor of others.
Before the approval on the article, that is part of the Antiquities Protection Law, member of the parliament Ehab El-Tamawy called for the punishment of all harassers of tourists to be increased to reach a fine of LE 20,000.
“There is no deterrent so far for those who carry out such acts that badly affects tourism,” said the Minister of Archeology Khaled al-Anani. He also expressed his support to intensify the punishment during the parliament’s Monday session that witnessed the approval on the article.
“This article does not exist in any country, but these acts are a culture, and the intensification of the punishment will not eliminate this phenomenon. There must be sufficient awareness to eliminate such practices,” commented the speaker of the House of Representatives Ali Abdul Aal.
