Part Two: Economic Constituents

Egypt’s Interim Constitution

Chapter One: The State

Chapter 2. Pt. 1 Social and Moral Constituents

Part Two: Economic Constituents

Article 23:

The national economy shall be organised in accordance with a comprehensive development plan which ensures raising the national income, fair distribution, raising the standard of living, solving the problem of unemployment, increasing work opportunities, connecting wages with production, fixing a minimum and maximum limit for wages in a manner that guarantees lessening the disparities between incomes

Article 24:

The people shall control all means of production and direct their surplus in accordance with development plan laid down by the State. Art.25:   Every citizen shall have a share in the national revenue to be defined by law in accordance with his work or his unexploiting ownership.

Article 26:

Workers shall have a share in the management and profits of projects . They shall be committed to the development of production and the implementation of the plan in their production units, in accordance with the law. Protecting the means of production is a national duty . Workers shall be represented on the boards of directors of the public sector units by at least 50% of the number of members of these boards. The law shall guarantee for the small farmers and small craftsmen 80%of the membership on the boards of directors of the agricultural and industrial co-operatives.

Article 27:

Beneficiaries shall participate in the management of the services projects of public interest and their supervision in accordance with the law.

Article 28:

The State shall look after the co-operative establishments in all their forms and encourage handicrafts with a view to developing production and raising income . The State shall endeavour to support agricultural co-operatives according to modern scientific bases.

Article 29:

Ownership shall be under the supervision of the people and the protection of the State. There are three kinds of ownership: public ownership, co-operative ownership and private ownership.

Article 30:

Public ownership is the ownership of the people and it is confirmed by the continuous support of the public sector. The public sector shall be the vanguard of progress in all spheres and shall assume the main responsibility in the development plan.

Article 31:

Co-operative ownership is the ownership of the co-operative societies. The law shall guarantee its protection and self-management.

Article 32:

Private ownership shall be represented by the unexploiting capital. The law shall organize the performance of its social function in the service of the national economy within the framework of the development plan, without deviation or exploitation. The ways of its utilization should not contradict the general welfare of the people.

Article 33:

Public ownership shall have its sanctity. Its protection and support shall be the duty of every citizen in accordance with the law as it is considered the mainstay of the strength of the homeland, a basis for the socialist system and a source of prosperity for the people.

Article 34: Private ownership shall be safeguarded and may not be placed under sequestration except in the cases defined by law and in accordance with a judicial decision . It may not be expropriated except for the general good and against a fair compensation as defined by law. The right of inheritance shall be guaranteed in it.

Article 35: Nationalization shall not be allowed except for considerations of public interest and in accordance with a law and against a compensation.

Article 36:

General confiscation of funds shall be prohibited . Private confiscation shall not be allowed except by a judicial decision.

Article 37:

The law shall fix the maximum limit of land ownership with a view to protecting the farmer and the agricultural labourer from exploitation and asserting the authority of the alliance of the people’s working forces in villages.

Article 38:

The tax system shall be based on social justice

Article 39:

Saving is a national duty protected, encouraged and organized by the State.