Written by: Suhaib Shams
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced that the debt of the petroleum sector in Egypt has reached 1.6 trillion pounds, as of June 30, 2026. This came during his participation in a session titled 'The Egyptian Energy Journey: National Achievements and Future Prospects,' as part of the fourth day of the Egypt 2026 Forum held in the New Capital.
Transparency and Clarifying Economic Challenges
President Sisi emphasized that the goal of presenting these figures and data is to provide a clear and simplified picture to citizens regarding the scale of challenges and financial obligations facing the state, away from complex technical terms. He pointed out the necessity for officials to use understandable language when explaining public issues to clarify the scale of problems, available resources, and obligations borne by the government to ensure the continuation of basic services.
Financial Interdependencies Between the Electricity and Petroleum Sectors
The discussion addressed the financial relationship between the electricity and petroleum sectors, where the President revealed his inquiry to the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Engineer Karim Badawi, regarding the size of the sector's debt. He also addressed the issue of paying for the fuel that the electricity sector receives from the Ministry of Petroleum, explaining the importance of presenting these questions to public opinion to demonstrate the financial gaps that the state is forced to bear.
Strengthening Government Work and Facing Criticism
In the context of evaluating government performance, the President emphasized the importance of continuing work and clarifying facts to citizens despite the pressures and criticisms that officials may face. He explained that the goal of this frankness is to help society understand the nature of the obligations related to managing various sectors, especially in light of the effort to implement the Egyptian economic program through to the year 2030.
