Speeding up progress on SWF; impact of zero tariffs on EU cars; Kuwaiti MP is mad at Nabila Makram Ebeid
Making use of untapped state-owned assets and the establishment of Egypt’s sovereign wealth fund were of much interest to the talking heads last night after the topics featured in a meeting between President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, and Planning Minister Hala El Said. Political analyst Kamal Rayan told Al Hayah Al Youm that El Sisi stressed the importance of setting up the fund as soon as possible to put these assets to good use (watch, runtime: 3:55). Yahduth fi Masr’s Sherif Amer was more concerned with El Sisi’s instructions to speed up construction at the New Alamein City (watch, runtime: 2:53).
The effect of slashing tariffs on EU-imported cars to zero at the beginning of next year will only be evident 3-6 months after implementation, Rep. Mohamed Badrawy told Masaa DMC’s Osama Kamal. Badrawy also shook his head at the lack of progress the domestic automotive industry has made over the past several years (watch, runtime: 5:04). The head of the Federation of Egyptian Industries’ Taxes and Customs Committee, Mohamed El Bahy, who seemed unaware of the long-stalled automotive directive, called on the House of Representatives and government to draft a strategy to encourage domestic manufacturing (watch, runtime: 5:01).
A Kuwaiti MP launched a broadside at Egypt’s Immigration Minister,Nabila Makram Ebeid, for (doing her job and) defending an Egyptian citizen who was assaulted in Kuwait. Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanim phoned in to Masaa DMC to ease the tension by hailing Egypt and Kuwait’s long-standing and strong relations, and noted that the case is making its way through the Kuwaiti judiciary (watch, runtime: 8:14).
Elsewhere last night: Menoufiya residents say they have no access to potable water, according to Yahduth fi Masr (watch, runtime: 5:16); Dakahlia Governor Kamal Sharobiem discussed his province’s woes on Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 4:05); and Masaa DMC’s Osama Kamal mourned the death of a colonel who was injured during the events of 2013 (watch, runtime: 10:11).