The Ismail Cabinet approved establishing a company to supervise and manage the development of public freezones and investment complexes, Al Masry Al Youm reports. The company will have a capital of EGP 300 mn and will be responsible for the infrastructure of new freezones and addressing the needs of existing zones, Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr told the press, according to Al Mal. Ministers also approved amendments to the Unified Building Code focused on insurance against potential damages and injuries during the construction process of new buildings. Also approved yesterday:

• The Housing Ministry’s request to make the New Urban Communities Authority responsible for covering increased costs of social housing projects incurred by the Contractors Compensation Act. These extra costs currently stand at between EGP 5 and 7 bn, according to Mortgage Finance Fund Chairman May Abdel Hamid told the press yesterday;
• Procedures for the Transport Ministry’s tenders for the New Capital-Cairo monorail, the Giza-6 October monorail, and a rail line connecting the new capital with Ain Sokhna, 6 October City, and Alamein;
• The construction of EGP 350 mn worth of wastewater and water treatment plants in Matrouh, to be funded through the governorate’s housing fund;
• Establishing the National Council for Disabled Persons, which will replace the National Council for Disability Affairs and will be mandated with protecting disabled citizens’ constitutional rights;
• Amendments to the Education Law to prioritize qualified and experienced teachers in the hiring process for teaching positions;
• Amendments to the Universities Organization Law to establish new colleges in the Luxor and West Valley universities.
• Contracting state-owned Egyptian Pharma Trading Company to supply EGP 30 mn worth of medications that are currently in short supply;