Conference Paper
Roles, Rules, and Controls: An Analytical Review of the Governance of Social Protection in Egypt
No.
ERF32AC_257
Publisher
ERF
Date
May, 2026
Topic
I3. Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
Egypt’s social protection system has undergone substantial reform over the past decade, yet governance constraints continue to limit effectiveness, equity, and public trust. This paper applies an integrated governance lens centred on the rules of the game, institutional roles and responsibilities, and controls and accountability mechanisms to two cornerstone schemes: the contributory social insurance pension system and the non-contributory Takaful and Karama cash transfer programme. It builds on a 2021 analytical governance review of Egyptian social protection programmes prepared by the author, and updates that work with legal, institutional, and operational developments up to 2024, including implementation of Law 148 of 2019, expansion of the unified social registry, wider use of digital payment systems, stronger enforcement provisions in social insurance, and the rollout of grievance and social accountability mechanisms in Takaful and Karama. Using qualitative data from expert interviews and documentary analysis, the paper shows that the unified Social Insurance Law has simplified formal rules and consolidated administration, but persistent challenges in enforcement, extension of coverage to informal workers, human resource capacity, and inter ministerial coordination continue to undermine outcomes. For Takaful and Karama, updated analysis confirms that clear eligibility and targeting rules, a robust management information system, electronic payments, and data driven recertification have improved poverty targeting and delivery, yet gaps in transparency, local implementation, and effective use of grievance and community monitoring arrangements constrain perceived fairness and responsiveness. The comparative discussion highlights cross cutting governance deficits and programme specific issues and argues that further gains require stronger system wide coordination, deeper integration of information systems, and more institutionalised oversight and citizen engagement.