Finance Ministry tries to meet constitutional spending quotas, exposes odd fiscal practices in the process: The Finance Ministry is still scrambling to meet the constitutionally mandated spending quota of 10% of GDP (or GNP of this fiscal year … maybe next fiscal year’s … maybe the calendar year’s … maybe using real rates or adjusted for PPP, no one knows) on health and education, Al Mal reports, with Deputy Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk proposing to reclassify some misappropriated spending to reach the target. Expenditure on military hospitals is categorized under security spending and Al Azhar’s under religious affairs — both items that could go under health and education, he said. Amending this odd accounting will not just curb growth in budget deficit, but will also allow for more oversight on spending — and make more effective allocations possible. Godspeed, Mr. Kouchouk.