- 62 -in Bilqas in Upper Egypt, and the increase in municipalities is due to the public's desire to improve public utilities by bringing drinking water to homes, sanitation, and extending sewage and drainage systems, and opening roads. The only way in the current circumstances to manage the necessary funds for these projects is by accepting the residents of the cities that request municipalities to pay voluntary taxes. The number of municipalities is now 13, and the number of local councils is 30. There are many major projects for bringing filtered drinking water to homes or projects that achieve this goal. Work is underway in some other municipalities and local councils to implement requests and bring unfiltered water through pipes in the city for firefighting, watering gardens and orchards, and the like. Naqazeeq, Asmût, and Beni Suef have been illuminated by electric light, and other cities are considering illumination with this light. Many roads have been opened and many streets have been repaired within the city limits, and the demand for constructing sewage systems in the cities has increased, especially where water is abundant.

The government advanced £E 735,000 in 1911, taken from the General Reserve, of which £E 10,000 was for the project of bringing drinking water to homes in Fayoum, £E 10,000 for roads and surface drainage in Tanta, £E 10,000 for installing drinking water filters in Zagazig, £E 10,000 for improving lighting in Damanhur, £E 10,000 for completing the drinking water and lighting project, £E 10,000 for electric lighting in Assiut, and £E 10,000 for extending water pipes in Qena.

£E 800,000 will be advanced in 1913, of which £E 20,000 is for the project of bringing water to Matarya (Al-Manzala), £E 10,000 to continue the drinking water project in Fayoum, £E 10,000 for the project of illuminating Damietta with electric light, £E 10,000 for bringing drinking water to Akhmim, £E 10,000 for bringing drinking water to Al-Nilawin, £E 10,000 for the water and lighting project in Bilbeis, £E 10,000 for expanding electric lighting in Zagazig, £E 4,500 for bringing drinking water to Al-Nilawin, £E 4,500 for expanding electric lighting in Zagazig, £E 4,500 for expanding electric lighting in Zagazig, £E 10,000 for bringing drinking water to Akhmim, £E 10,000 for bringing drinking water to Al-Nilawin, £E 10,000 for the water and lighting project in Bilbeis, £E 10,000 for expanding electric lighting in Zagazig, £E 4,500 for bringing drinking water to Akhmim, £E 10,000 for bringing drinking water to Al-Nilawin, £E 10,000 for the water and lighting project in Bilbeis, £E 10,000 for expanding electric lighting in Zagazig, £E 4,500 for Tanta, £E 10,000 for road works in Damanhur, and £E 10,000 for road works in an annual interest of 4%, of which 4% is also consumed each year.

The financial results of the completed projects have been successful. The amount the government is expected to recover in 1912 from interest and amortization of various advances is £E 1,200,000.