CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt is considering whether to reduce fuel subsidies by 20 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.64 billion) next fiscal year, but it needs to study the social implications before coming to a decision, the investment minister said on Thursday.

The government cut the subsidies last summer, raising the prices of gasoline, diesel and natural gas as much as 78 percent, a move lauded by economists but criticised by some ordinary Egyptians accustomed to cheap energy.

Investment Minister Ashraf Salman said in a statement that the government may aim to cut fuel subsidies to 80 billion pounds in the fiscal year starting June 30, instead of the 100 billion pounds now planned for.

He said that the reduction will come through using a smart card system meant to better monitor fuel consumption in the country of nearly 90 million.

Egypt has benefited from a decline in global oil prices since last summer. But it has turned from an energy exporter to a net importer in recent years, with low production and high consumption causing a deficit that leads to regular blackouts.

The government has tried to address this by cutting subsidies to decrease consumption. It is also trying to encourage more oil and gas exploration as well as seeking energy shipments from abroad.

($1 = 7.5900 Egyptian pounds)