Egypt's parliament debates amendments to law honoring war and terror victims

Parliament opened Monday's session on a government bill amending the law establishing the fund honoring martyrs of war, terrorist, and security operations.

• Speaker Hesham Badawy opened the session, which also scheduled six requests for general debate on government policies in health, industry, agriculture, and education.
• Randa Mostafa, head of the Social Solidarity Committee, presented the joint committee's report and announced its approval of the bill.
• Mostafa said the amendments remove obstacles blocking beneficiaries' rights and address financial burdens tied to medical services and documents.
• The joint committee consulted representatives of the defense, interior, finance, health, and social solidarity ministries on the bill.
• MP Yasser al-Hudaybi, deputy chair of the Human Rights Committee, called for a binding deadline for disbursing compensation to the injured and martyrs' families.
• The House of Representatives gave final approval to the bill amending Law No. 16 of 2018 on the martyrs' fund.
• The approved amendments exempt medical services from taxes and strip fund benefits from those convicted of terrorist crimes.
• The chamber also approved an article affirming the fund enjoys President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's special patronage.