Civil society, and the media have an essential role toward effective policy reform. Their role is two-way in their triangular relationship as communication agents, and as advocates for change.
How can citizens hold their governments accountable? It is a power game. Citizens often find that they need more powerful intermediary institutions to enable them to effectively hold officials accountable. This is further pronounced in paternalistic states where there is an imbalance in the social contract. In such states citizens’ taxpayer power is diminished with the state’s enhanced power through subsidy and financial allocations. Egypt, similar to other Arab states, is characterized by a paternalistic social contract that creates an imbalance in the accountability cycle, which necessitates the empowerment of the triangular relationship of civil society, and the media, to balance the power and act as vehicles for citizen voice. However, the current state’s burdened national budget and policy reforms may lead to a transformation of the existing social contract, as it becomes necessary to reduce expenditures on subsidies.
The Egyptian national budget continues to suffer the existing social contract as more than 25% of its expenditure is consumed by its over inflated bureaucracy and approximately 50% is consumed by subsidies toward food, fuel and electricity. A state created since President Nasser’s era, and has continued ever since for over half a decade, as cabinets were reluctant to implement necessary reforms to avoid political unrest. Ideally social protection programs should target the poorer segments of society. However, until recently the government’s five-year plans stressed protection of citizens from price increases and provision of essential items. It was not until the recent five-year plan that efficiency in government spending; tax reforms, and implementing social justice reforms through targeted subsidy allocation were stressed.
Recent reforms in food subsidies transitioned subsidies from paper based cards to electronic smart cards, and from quantity allotments to cash allotments. This targeted cash transfer allowed an increase in targeting the poorer segments of society, as according to 2004-10 surveys the poorest quintile received only 25% of subsidies allocated, while the changed policy expects an 80% increase in ration cards to the poor. Food subsidies seem to have improved targeting processes than energy subsidies. Marginal pricing reforms of fuels have been instigated since the revolution. However, subsidy costs continued to soar, as fuel subsidy alone consumed 22 per cent of Egypt’s 2013 budget, while electricity consumed 8 per cent; and again the poorest quintile only received less than 7 per cent of diesel subsidies. However, Egypt currently has embarked on a gradual energy and electricity subsidy reform program, though no comprehensive policy including the industrial and transport sectors is in yet in place.
Changes in current financial allocations, as Egypt embarks on social and economic transitions, though working toward balancing the social contract and thus enhancing citizen power, yet it requires effective communication to ensure public buy-in and enhance public support for the current economic policy reforms. A communication strategy that highlights long-term objectives, a comprehensive reform plan, and enhances the public perception of the expected outcomes and fairness of the reform plans.
Civil society, and the media have an essential role toward effective policy reform. Their role is two-way in their triangular relationship as communication agents, and as advocates for change. However, the majorities of the more than 30,000 civil society organizations in Egypt work in philanthropic fields or are a mix of associations, such as professional syndicates and trade unions. Few civil society organizations adopt the role of watchdog. Furthermore, the strict supervision and control of the media to filter information and hold a close grip on public opinion threatens citizen voice and engagement and, as a corollary, anti-corruption measures.
