Khalid Abdul Ghani, Director of the Smart Card system for distribution of petroleum products, confirmed that all data for those eligible for fuel subsidies – 5.6m citizens – has been handed over to the traffic authorities so that cards are delivered before implementation of the second stage. He added no one knew when the second phase would be executed and that the decision will be issued by the Council of Ministers.

Abdul Ghani explained, in exclusive statements to Egypt Oil & Gas, that citizens obtaining their smart cards is of the utmost importance. He stressed that the interim “Station Card” system will be canceled soon, after the circulation of the second phase in all the provinces. This phase is especially important since no citizen will be eligible for government fuel subsidies in the future without a smart card issued to them personally.

He appealed to citizens to go to their traffic administrations as quickly as possible to get their smart cards, especially since there are 2 million smart cards for gasoline and diesel fuel that have yet to be distributed.

He said that all cars and fishing boats that consume petroleum products in large quantities have entered the Smart Card system.

Egypt has 3,200 gas stations nationwide.