The universal healthcare act should be ready for nationwide implementation by 4Q2017, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail told reporters on Sunday, according to Ahram Gate. Cabinet will discuss the program at its next meeting before sending it to the Council of State for review. The results of the actuarial studies on the implementation of universal healthcare are also expected next week, Deputy Finance Minister Mohamed Maait tells Al Masry Al Youm. The exact cost projections though will depend on the pilot project, which will be rolled out first in the Suez Canal governorates, he adds. To brush up on what we already know about the proposed Universal Healthcare Act, check out our roundup from last week.

Also on the agenda for cabinet’s next meeting is the 0.125% stamp tax that the government plans to impose on the buy- and sell-side of stock market transactions by May and which the cabinet economic group approved last week. The levy — which will be gradually increased to 0.175% by its third year and replaces the temporarily suspended capital gains tax — will be imposed on all capital market transactions, Deputy Finance Minister Amr El Monayer told Extra News in an interview on Sunday (runtime 29:58).