Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris has once again thrust himself into the center of a national debate, this time by questioning whether Egypt can still afford to keep funding state television channels that reportedly lose billions of pounds every year.
The telecoms billionaire sparked widespread discussion after arguing that Egypt’s public broadcasters should be shut down, claiming taxpayers were footing the bill for channels that attract little audience attention.
“Three billion Egyptian pounds in annual losses from taxpayers’ money for channels that nobody watches,” Sawiris wrote on social media, a remark that quickly spread across Egyptian media and online platforms.
The figure, equivalent to roughly $61 million, has become the focal point of a broader conversation about the future of state-owned institutions in a country grappling with economic pressures, fiscal reforms, and growing demands on public resources.
More than a television debate
