No retreat on reclaiming transgressed public, private properties: Egypt’s PM

Egypt demolished over 4,000 illegal buildings in the period from 8 to 14 July, according to a Cabinet statement on Friday, part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal construction.

The authorities removed around 2,793 building violations that were built on a total area of around 800,000 square metres, according to a report on the construction violation removals campaign sent to Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly.

Another 1,380 agricultural violations were built over a total area of 60,000 feddans, the statement added.

Madbouly stressed the state’s adherence to its right to decisively counter all forms of transgression on public and private properties and prevent them from happening again.

There will be “no retreat on reclaiming the state’s right and enforcing the law,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.

The previous wave, implemented from 25 March to 7 July, saw the removal of around 35,000 encroachments. Some 6,000 cases were referred to the military prosecution in this period as well.

The nationwide crackdown comes in reaction to a significant rise Egypt has seen in illegal building amid the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising.

The government announced earlier this month that future construction in some high-density districts in Cairo, Giza and other in cities countrywide will be completely banned.

Last month, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said building violations are more dangerous than terrorism, calling on authorities to toughen penalties against violators.