Supply and Internal Trade Minister Mohamed Abu Shady denied rumors of the government's intention to cut back on public subsidies.
Abu Shady said the government was falsely accused of planning to cancel subsidies on butane, remove many families from of subsidies cards lists, cancel to subsidies on food supplies and raise the price of subsidized bread over 5 piasters.
He accused the Muslim Brotherhood of spreading such rumors on order to cause instability ahead of the referendum on the Constitution, to be held mid-January.
Abu Shady reassured citizens on Saturday that the government aims to provide social protection for them, especially low-income people, stressing the continued subsidies on bread and food supplies, which currently totals about LE35 billion.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
