The Ismail Cabinet approved yesterday a draft bill that would provide a mechanism to legalize some buildings now in violation of the building code, according to a statement. The law would allow settlements by owners of buildings that are constructed or used for a different purpose than it was licensed for, unless the building violates the maximum number of storeys approved by the Civil Aviation Authority, does not adhere to construction safety requirements, and / or does not comply with requirements for available parking spots. Settlements are also not permitted for buildings put up on agricultural or state-owned land. Also approved during yesterday’s meeting:

• A EUR 225 mn loan agreement with Germany to help close the state budget’s financing gap and support the country’s economic reform program;
• Two separate grants from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization worth a combined USD 676k for a project to use solar power in irrigation systems and another to support the sustainable use of water on reclaimed state land;
• A presidential decree to allocate a 306.7 feddan plot in Minya for the General Authority for Freezones and Investment (GAFI) to establish a public freezone;
• A bundle of decisions from the ministerial engineering committee on direct order agreements for projects pertaining to the transport, housing, and health ministries.