Egypt President defends recent price hikes

Egyptians wait for a minibus in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, July 5, 2014. Egypt's government raised the prices of fuel by up to 78 percent starting Saturday, following on a promise to cut subsidies that eat up nearly a quarter of the state budget, the official news agency reported. The country's successive leaders have balked at reducing subsidies because half of the country's 85 million people live at or below the poverty line of $2 a day and rely on government subsidies of wheat and fuel for survival. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) Egyptians wait for a minibus in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, July 5, 2014. Egypt's government raised the prices of fuel by up to 78 percent starting Saturday, following on a promise to cut subsidies that eat up nearly a quarter of the state budget, the official news agency reported. The country's successive leaders have balked at reducing subsidies because half of the country's 85 million people live at or below the poverty line of $2 a day and rely on government subsidies of wheat and fuel for survival. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

By Associated Press July 7, 2014 1 min read

CAIRO (AP) – Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has defended his recent decisions to partially lift subsidies on fuel, calling them a necessary “bitter pill.”

In a nationally televised speech Monday, El-Sissi said he couldn’t delay such decisions even if it cost him support because “the dangers are great” for Egypt’s economy.

El-Sissi approved this weekend fuel price hikes as high as 80 percent. The decision shocked many in the country where nearly 50 percent live in poverty.

Likening the current conditions to times of wars with Israel, el-Sissi said Egypt is at war to rebuild following turmoil. He urged Egyptians to bear the austerity measures and appealed to the rich to donate to Egypt’s development.

El-Sissi also warned that the region is witnessing a war in which “religion is used to destroy states.”