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For the last three years, the Egyptian government has gradually lifted fuel subsidies, whose prices had almost tripled. KHALED DESOUKI / AFP

The Egyptian government has reduced the price of fuel by an average of 4%.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Petroleum, the committee responsible for setting prices for petroleum products " decided to lower fuel prices (...) by 25 piastres (about 1 euro cent) per liter in the domestic market " . Three reasons were cited for this reduction in fuel prices: the global decline in the price of oil, the increase in Egyptian production and the rise of the pound against the dollar.

This is a first step because over the past three years, the government has been phasing out fuel subsidies that have almost tripled. This led to widespread price rises that were not well received by the population. Two years ago inflation had exceeded 30% .

The decline announced this Friday comes after limited protests , but unprecedented since the re-election of President al-Sissi in 2018, recalls our correspondent in Cairo, Alexandre Buccianti . They broke out after accusations of corruption against the president and the army by an Egyptian entrepreneur, Mohamed Ali , resident in Spain. His calls for a popular uprising had been widely circulated on social networks and picked up by chains close to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Another gift was also made by the government to the poorest, expanding subsidies for basic necessities to 2 million additional people. 32% of Egyptians live below the poverty line according to official statistics.