The problem is that the contract between the government
and the citizens is not fulfilled very effectively. Although the
prices of some basic food items are kept artificially low so that
poor people can afford them, they are still relatively expensive.
Medical care is often inadequate—equipment is broken or
outdated, and the best doctors may be found only in private
practice, where their fees are too high for most people to afford.
College graduates typically join the ranks of millions of other
employees. They are jammed into already bloated government
offices where there is little work to do and there are few rewards
for work done—salaries are very low. Visitors to Egypt would
almost certainly have at least one experience dealing with the
government bureaucracy. A simple piece of paperwork—like
extending a tourist visa to stay in the country—would lead the
visitor through an incredibly complex and time-consuming
series of visits to different offices within the giant Mugamma
building in downtown Cairo. People would look the document
over and put stamps on the application. It might seem that
few of the people in these offices are doing any serious work,
and most are sitting idly, drinking tea, or conversing. It is not
a mistaken impression. The system is not supposed to work