What we’re tracking on 25 July 2016
The House of Representatives is expected to hold an emergency meeting today on the FX crunch and the EGP’s significant drops this week (more on that in the Speed Round)
Finance Minister Amr El Garhy is expected to discuss the value-added tax legislation with the leaders of the Federation of Egyptian Industries (more on that in the Speed Round)
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank and the World Bank will launch their joint report What’s holding back the private sector in MENA? at the Conrad Hotel in Cairo. Registration begins at 8:30am CLT, with the first panel starting at 9:00am, including Central Bank Governor Tarek Amer and former Finance Minister Ahmed Galal. Following a break, International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr will deliver a keynote speech, followed by a second panel discussion which will include EBRD’s Egypt head Phillip ter Woort.
The Civil Service Act could pass in the House of Representatives as early as today after an article-by-article vote that resumed yesterday. Passage of the measure would represent a hard-won victory for the Ismail government after its first (and so far, really, only) significant clash of horns with the House.
Solar Impulse 2, the solar-powered aircraft that departed Cairo yesterday, is still on the final leg of its around-the-world flight. The aircraft is due to touch down in Abu Dhabi tomorrow. Watch the livestream of the flight here, or visit the homepage for this leg.