The Ismail cabinet’s approval of the IMF loan agreement was the focus of the talking heads last evening.

Minister of Finance Amr El Garhy spoke with Mehwar’s TV 90 Minutes on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting yesterday that discussed the IMF loan. Cabinet reviewed the economic reform program with a focus on reducing the budget deficit. The long-term plan is to wean Egypt off international loans and reduce the nation’s debt, said El Garhy. Commenting on the exchange rate, El Garhy reassured viewers that a weaker EGP was better in the on long run, as it would help draw in foreign direct investment. The minister said that the Egyptian economy “will completely change” in three years, adding that Egypt’s economic outlook is perceived in a more positive light by international institutions than it is at home (watch, runtime: 7:34).

Al Hayah Al Youm’s Tamer Amin focused his program on the merits of sending the IMF agreement to the House of Representatives at this late stage after the ink has dried. Cabinet spokesperson Ashraf Sultan stated in in a call-in that the lapse between the agreement and the approval came from the IMF, which required time to finalize drafting. He added that House effectively approved the agreement by having ratified the Ismail cabinet’s reform agenda last March (watch: runtime: 3:01).

House Economics Committee member Bassant Fahmy backed up Sultan’s comment on the House’s tacit approval, saying that Parliament knew the financing gap will be covered through loans from international lenders. As an MP, she couldn’t help but revert to grandstanding mode and criticized the government for not sending the agreement to the House for taking an official position on the loan (watch: runtime: 2:45).

Cruz wants to designate Ikhwan as terror organization: Amr Adib discussed US Senator Ted Cruz’s introduction of a bill that would designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization (watch: runtime: 3:23).