A recent law proposal has been ratified by the president in Egypt, according to which government departments will be given permission to fire employees with a history of substance abuse.
#AMAY| Drug control director reveals details on Egypt’s law dismissing drug-abusing employeeshttps://t.co/htSE3tlSjH pic.twitter.com/a3hUcb4Flx
— Egypt Independent (@EgyIndependent) June 21, 2021
The new law (73/2021) has been linked to government efforts to limit drug use across the country, especially that Egypt has seen a spike in drug consumption over the last few years, as 2019 figures pointed at more than 10% of the country's population using drugs.
According to the new law, employees appointed at government positions will have to undergo tests before taking their jobs. They will also undergo tests before being granted promotions or raises. The law also gives administrations the right to immediately suspend employees who test positive for substance abuse.
While many media analysts have linked this latest decision with the rising number of train accidents in Egypt, which have resulted in devastating deaths for months, particularly as investigations found out that drivers were under drug influence during working hours, many voices are expressing suspicion that the new law is meant to slash the number of government employees from around 6 million to 3 million, a requirement by loan programs granted by the International Monetary Fund IMF.
