Education, development and Ramadan on a very bland night of talk shows.
Monday was a bland evening on the airwaves. Planning Minister Hala El Said told Hona Al Asema’s Lamees Al Hadidi that the government’s sustainable development plan aims to push GDP growth levels up to 4.6% over the next fiscal year and considerably decrease inflation levels. The plan also forecasts five-year improvements to investment, job creation and industrial output (watch, runtime 10:25).
Al Hadidi also spoke with Education Minister Tarek Shawky, who notably suggested — we’re putting a sharp point on this here — that reform of the education system will be possible once teachers are paid a living wage (watch, runtime 3:42).
On Kol Youm, Amr Adib was also on about education, with his guest of the night being Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar. Among other things, he discussed a desire to change the way students apply to and are accepted by state-funded universities (watch, runtime 6:04).
“Internally displaced” Copts: Adib also spoke to Port Said Governor Adel El Ghadban about the issues still facing Coptic families who have left or been forced from their homes in North Sinai’s Al Arish due to violence (watch, runtime 6:45).
Over on Masaa DMC, Eman El Hosary talked preparations for Ramadan with Supply Minister Ali El Moselhy, who told the host that there’s not much ‘yameesh’ (think nuts and dried fruits, and other things that go into popular Ramadan dishes) in the market this year because most of these products are imported, and our money simply buys less now (watch, runtime 2:46). That’s not a stab at the EGP float, though: El Moselhy said the float was necessary to boost foreign reserves and allow the state to cover its needs of staples like oil, sugar, and rice (watch, runtime 8:36).
Meanwhile on Al Hayah Al Youm, Tamer Amin spoke to MP Abla El Hawari about her proposed “rules of engagement,” or amendments to the Personal Status Law to regulate couples’ engagement periods. She apparently has bigger plans in mind that include legislative solutions for all types of family problems (watch, runtime 1:57). There are no words.