EDUCATION

Thirteen-hour school days: That’s the solution being proposed by the Senate Education Committee to tackle the problem of private tutoring. A committee report up for discussion in the Senate wants public school students to be at school from 8am to 9pm, and suggests breaking up the school day into three periods: 8am to 12pm, 12:30pm to 4:30pm and 5pm to 8pm. This “will recover the role of public schools as the main teaching venue for students, overcome the problem of overcrowded classes, and dissuade students from resorting to the costly private tutoring lessons,” committee chair Nabil Dibis said.

ENERGY-

Vortex Energy invests another EUR 46 mn in Spain’s Ignis Energia: EFG Hermes’ clean energy investment platform Vortex Energy has made a EUR 46 mn equity investment in Spain’s integrated renewables group Ignis Energia, Al Borsa reported yesterday. The investment was made through the Vortex Energy IV Fund — which reached its first close of USD 200 mn in July 2021. A representative from EFG Hermes declined to comment when Enterprise Climate reached out.

HEALTH-

Egypt records a fourth case of monkeypox: A 34-year-old man is receiving treatment at a Health Ministry-affiliated hospital after contracting the disease, the ministry said yesterday. He had been in close contact with a third patient, a European resident who was visiting Egypt, according to the statement.

POLICY-

The Public Enterprises Ministry has completed several studies on establishing new factories to localize production and reduce reliance on imports, and presented them to representatives of the Ebda initiative, Minister Mahmoud Esmat said yesterday. The statement did not provide further details on the industries.

TELECOMS-

Orange CEO + El Sisi talk investment: Orange CEO Christel Heydemann discussed increasing investments in Egypt during talks with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi yesterday, according to a statement from Ittihadiya.

TRANSPORT-

Mwsalat Misr + Superjet to operate buses and electric taxes in new capital: A public-private joint venture was awarded a 15-year contract to operate buses and EV taxis in the new administrative capital, Al Mal reports, citing sources it says are in the know. ACTA is a JV between the Transport Ministry’s SuperJet and privately-owned Mwasalat Misr, which signed an EGP 200 mn contract to set up smart transport routes in the new administrative capital late last year. Operations are set to start next year with 145 EVs, as well as 80 buses that were used to transport delegates at COP27. ACTA could make an initial investment of EGP 1 bn in the routes, according to Al Mal.