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Wednesday, 12 July 2017

Private sector wage raises, a new traffic law, and Qatar’s anti-terror agreement with the US

The airwaves offered us a random assortment of topics last night, between private sector wage raises, a new traffic law, and Qatar’s anti-terror agreement with the US.

On Hona Al Asema, Lamees Al Hadidi spoke to Labor Minister Mohamed Saafan about the private sector raise agreement that he’ll be signing on Sunday with the Support Egypt Coalition (majority bloc). The ministry explained that the raise will range from a minimum of EGP 165 to a maximum of EGP 330 per month.

The agreement will not oblige employers to pay the raise, the minister clarified, saying that “they are asked to do it under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility (watch, runtime 4:25).

The raise will come into effect starting July, Support Egypt Coalition head MP Mohamed Elsewedy told Lamees. He explained that the decision was studied first by four House committees and was coordinated with the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce and other business associations (watch, runtime 4:13).

The agreement will set the terms and conditions for the raise, Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce chief Ahmed El Wakil also told Lamees, explaining that companies that have already increased salaries this year, for example, will not be asked to take part in the initiative (watch, runtime 4:27).

Over on Yahduth fi Misr, Sherif Amer covered the new draft Traffic Law that the Interior Ministry plans on sending to cabinet now that it has finished drafting it. The legislation is expected to introduce new clauses and amendments to the old law to help improve overall traffic conditions across the country, according to AMAY, such as regulations and licenses for tuk-tuks and their drivers, more stringent driving tests, a point system for driver’s’ licenses, and drug tests for professional drivers.

On Kol Youm, Amr Adib naturally took up verbal arms against the US for inking an anti-terror agreement with Qatar on Tuesday, loudly accusing ‘Murca of trying to “benefit from the crisis through arms sales. Adib then went on to say that “it’s a known fact” that the US is involved in terrorism and has used Qatar to overthrow the Egyptian regime under Barack Obama’s rule (watch, runtime: 9:15). Why not jump on their throats for the current heat wave Adib.

Meanwhile on Masaa DMC, Osama Kamal hosted CIB Chairman Hisham Ezz Al Arab to talk about CIB winning Euromoney’s World’s Best Bank in the Emerging Markets. Ezz Al Arab explained that it was CIB’s role in supporting the economy during the difficult years of 2011 onwards that allowed it to win the award (watch, runtime 10:04).

Ezz Al Arab also told Kamal about CIB’s journey and long history, as well as the new policies he began implementing once he took office in 2000, changing the bank’s overall outlook and dynamics (watch, runtime 3:56).

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