Government subsidies to energy are widespread and represent a heavy burden on public budgets in many countries. Both producers and consumers may be subsidized; the most common subsidies are for motor fuel consumption and electricity production and consumption. The subsidies to consumers often...

“Lifting or keeping the subsidy” has been a controversial issue, precisely in Egypt it has always been too “hot to touch” when it comes to the right of the unfortunate few. But this has proved for over 50 years to be a sheer myth. Billions of subsidized money has been landing in the...

During the last few years and because of the low oil prices in particular, the increasing awareness of the unsustainability of subsidized systems led several MENA countries to take steps to lower subsidies, which have been part of the social contract for decades, especially as far as the energy...