Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Prominent Egyptian television host Amr Adib voiced strong criticism on Friday against the property tax imposed on private residential units, questioning the government’s approach to raising public revenue. Speaking during his show Al-Hekaya on MBC Masr, Adib argued that taxing private homes places an unnecessary burden on citizens without significantly benefiting the state budget.
“This is my own home. Where is the role of the representatives? Is their role to raise prices?!” Adib said, highlighting widespread public frustration over rising costs and taxation. He further criticized additional fees on services linked to Egyptian expatriates, describing the cumulative effect of these measures as unfair to ordinary citizens.
Adib argued that the government should explore new sources of revenue rather than imposing higher taxes on individuals, noting the discrepancy between property values and the taxes levied. “Today you want to tax me because my apartment’s rent is LE 8,000 and it is now eight million LE. How much did I pay for it? What do you want from me? Or is your role to make things more expensive for the people?” he said.
He also urged authorities to prioritize political and structural reforms over purely economic measures. “Please, let’s focus on politics, not just economics. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly is holding a calculator and doing the math; don’t pay the debts at our expense,” Adib stated.
Public sentiment, he observed, reflects deep frustration with government policies, as citizens increasingly feel that promised improvements have failed to materialize, leaving many yearning for relief from current hardships. Analysts note that Adib’s comments resonate widely with Egyptians facing inflation, rising living costs, and growing skepticism toward the state’s economic strategy.
