Egyptian Public Services

Egypt's public services sector carries a high corruption risk for business. Petty corruption and bribery within local government offices are pervasive ( ICS 2015 ). The use of connections, known as wasta , in business operations is common ( CiE 2012 ). Most businesses expect to give gifts to officials to obtain an operating license, while almost half of firms expect the same when acquiring electricity ( ES 2013 ). Businesses rank inefficient government bureaucracy as the second largest obstacle to doing business in Egypt ( GCR 2015-2016 ). Burdened and overcrowded government offices serve a system that permits state employees to extract bribes, a situation that has grown worse since the 2011 Revolution because of lax law enforcement ( Reuters , Apr. 2012).