LEGISLATION WATCH- Cabinet to get executive regulations for the Universal Healthcare Act by week’s end: Health Minister Ahmed Rady is due to present the executive regulations to the newly-passed Universal Healthcare Act by the end of the week, the minister said yesterday, Al Masry Al Youm reports. Rady confirmed the law would be put into effect by 1 July, starting with 10 hospitals in Port Said. Sources tell Al Shorouk that the Finance Ministry will review the 67-article document before it’s passed over to the Cabinet. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi had signed the Universal Healthcare Act into law last month.

Background: The health coverage plan sets a 0.0025% tax on sales revenues for every company operating in Egypt to fund the system and imposes premiums for employers of 4% of each employee’s monthly salary, while employees would pay premiums of only 1% of their salary into the system.

IN OTHER LEGISLATIVE NEWS:

• A draft law on small and medium-sized industries that will include tax and non-tax incentives for SMEs to join the formal economy awaits cabinet’s touch before it ships it over to the House of Representatives, a government source tells Youm7.
• A new building code goes up for discussion at the Housing committee in the coming days, Al Shorouk says.