Egypt

Protecting the Vulnerable During Egypt’s Economic Reform

Chris Jarvis for The Daily New Egypt

Restoring economic stability is not easy, as Egypt’s President Sisi has said many times.

The country faces three interlinked problems: an urgent balance of payments problem—which means more foreign currency has been going out the door than coming in—rising public debt, as well as low growth and high unemployment. With help from the IMF, Egypt has designed a reform plan to address these problems, which affect Egyptians every day, especially the most vulnerable in society. The goal is to help people through the difficult economic transition and give people a shared stake in Egypt’s future.

How social protection helps economic reforms 

All of the economic  problems  that Egypt faces  can be solved, and the reforms the government has made in recent months

— introducing the value added tax (VAT), floating the pound, and cutting fuel subsidies —will In the long term help all Egyptians. The reforms will help the middle class as well as the vulnerable by raising growth and creating jobs. But there are also short-term costs.

In daily life, imports cost more in pounds because it takes more pounds to buy a dollar. Some people will pay more taxes. Fuel costs more as subsidies are cut. So the government and the IMF are determined that as little as possible of the costs should fall on those least able to afford them. For this reason, the government has committed to spend a minimum of an additional 33 billion pounds, about 1 percentage point of GDP, to increase social spending.

Social protection measures 

There are different programs put in place and in the phase of implementation that are mainly targeted to help the most vulnerable groups. These programs include increased food subsidies, and reforms to the social pension budget. Here are some details:

Increased food subsidies by raising the value of the subsidy offered through food smart cards from 15 to 21 Egyptian pounds per person.

Expanded Takaful and Karama to reach 1.7 million households and 7.3 million beneficiaries.

Expanded social pension budget to reach another 1.7 million households, and the general pension will be increased.

There are smaller programs targeted to specific vulnerable groups, such as more free school meals, and new gas connections for poor districts. The government will increase subsidies for infant milk and children’s medicines, and will preserve or increase vocational training for young people.

Social structural reforms include efforts to raise the participation of women in the workforce. This will have important social effects, as well as contribute to economic growth. About 250 million Egyptian pounds more will be spent on public nurseries, and the government will study how to make public transportation safer and more accessible for women.

More growth means more jobs

The program also addresses economic and structural constraints. With sound implementation of planned policies, Egypt’s growth could rise to 6 percent over the medium term, which would be comparable to the period from 2005 to 2010 when annual growth averaged 5.9 percent.

The medium-term objective for the program is to bring the Egyptian economy to its full potential and achieve high growth rates. This will help create jobs to absorb Egypt’s young population entering the job market. The IMF projects that unemployment will fall to 10 percent by the final year of the program, compared to 12.7 percent last year, and will fall further into single digits after this.

The economic reform program is in its early stages and throughout the process both the government and the IMF are committed to supporting social protection. Both the structural reforms and social protection measures are critical to achieve the program’s goals and will be used as markers to measure progress. The authorities are committed to implement them 

by end of June 2017.

The plan was developed by the Egyptian government for the Egyptian people. The economic reform program draws on the growth experiences of many countries that have successfully

sustained social and economic progress. It takes careful account of Egypt’s specific and unique characteristics to ensure that it creates the best chance of success for the Egyptian people.

Implementation will at times be difficult, but Egypt can move forward with confidence knowing that economic reform is not just about growing national income, but also protecting and improving the prospects of its poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

 

Chris Jarvis is the mission chief for Egypt and an Advisor at the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia Department. He was previously in the IMF’s European Department where he led missions to Belarus and then Ukraine; and before that he was a speechwriter for Rodrigo de Rato and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former Managing Directors at the IMF. Mr. Jarvis has over twenty years experience as an IMF economist, working mostly on emerging economies. He is a U.K. national and before joining the IMF, he was at the U.K. Treasury. Mr. Jarvis was educated at Keble College, Oxford, Nuffield College, Oxford, and Yale University.

via www.dailynewsegypt.com

IMF expects Egypt’s inflation to fall in 2nd quarter of 2017

Ahram Online

Egypt’s annual headline inflation reached 24.3 percent in December compared to 20.2 in November

Visitors are silhouetted against the logo of the International Monetary Fund at the main venue for the IMF and World Bank annual meeting in Tokyo October 10, 2012 (Photo: Reuters)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Egypt’s headline inflation rate to “come down during the second quarter of this calendar year,” IMF’s Mission Chief in Egypt Chris Jarvis said on Wednesday.

“We would expect the monthly increases in inflation to drop sharply by the second quarter of this year and the headline rate of inflation...to begin to fall then as well,” Jarvis stated.

Jarvis, in an online press conference revealing the first comprehensive report released by the IMF on 2016's $12 billion loan agreement with Egypt, said the headline inflation “has been slightly higher though not much higher” than expected.

Egypt’s annual headline inflation reached 24.3 percent in December, compared to 20.2 the month before.

If inflation drops later this year it would be seen as an “important metric of success of the program,” Jarvis said.

Jarvis cited several reasons for the rate's gradual increase—which reached its highest in December—including an increase in commodity prices tied to rising fuel prices, and the depreciation of the Egyptian pound's value against the dollar.

"I think what's more likely is that there has been what's called some overshooting of the exchange rate," the IMF official said when asked about the fair value of the pound against foreign currencies, adding that "[the current] exchange rate is more depreciated than we expected given the fundamentals." 

Egypt has undergone a foreign-currency crunch over the past year, prompting the central bank to float the Egyptian pound in November. The move allowed the pound to drop drastically in value, from EGP 8.88 to the dollar pre-float to EGP 18.5.

"It's a genuine equilibrium exchange rate," Jarvis said, with the demand for foreign currencies roughly equaling supply. "That, I think, has already been achieved, which is a tremendous improvement in terms of increasing the availability of foreign exchange in Egypt," he added.

If policies are kept reasonably tight, Jarvis said he expects no “further depreciation of the exchange rate,” and possibly an appreciation with “broad stability in the exchange rate.”

via english.ahram.org.eg

Egypt: Frugality, necessity, or common sense

Ahram Online, by Azza Radwan Sedky 

In the light of the recent price hikes, are Egyptians more aware of the dilemma they are facing, are they reconsidering what is necessary and what is not?

“I don’t fill the electric kettle to the brim anymore; I boil only enough water for my cup of tea,” “I do better; I stopped using the electric kettle altogether and shifted back to the stove teapot,” “Every lamp that needs to be replaced I replace with an LED one,” “I’m pulling out my old clothes—they are worth revisiting,” “The sugar crisis hasn’t affected me one bit; I don’t add sugar to either my coffee or tea,” and “I refused to buy Mawlid (birth of Prophet Mohamed) sweets this year; it was so expensive, it wasn’t worth it.” 

Peculiarly, this is what Egyptians tell one another today; in addition, they are buying Egyptian products, the ones they disregarded and discarded for decades. “Do you realize that we pay 120 million dollars to import American apples, and that’s before the pound devaluation? That’s insane!” “Can’t we weave our own prayer carpets, for heaven’s sake? They cost a fortune,” or “Where can one find Shabrawichi perfume products? I used to love 555,” and “I bet Nabulsi Shaheen soap would do wonders for my hair.”

These are only a few of the comments I heard in the last little while. These comments mirror Egyptians’ reactions to the recent economic challenges.

After the floatation of the pound and the restrictions on power and fuel subsidies, Egyptians are trying to adjust to the hikes. They realized that money does not grow on trees and what it, money, brings in today is less than what it brought in yesterday; hence, they are applying all the thrifty tactics they can think of to get more out of the same pound, an excellent approach if I may add.

Egyptians are now fully aware of the dilemma they face. They had lived in la la land for too long, and the time has come to pay the expected dues, so they are succumbing to the changes. But is it out of frugality, necessity, or common sense?

I had gotten myself worried sick about how Egyptians will react to price hikes, which seemed to have engulfed every single item whether local or imported from an arugula bunch to hefty salmon fillets, from sugar to Nescafe Gold, and from key lime to designer shoes. I worried because I didn’t know how Egyptians would take the surge in prices. I shouldn’t have though since Egyptians proved my fretting unnecessary.

From previous experience, the bread riots in particular, Egyptians don’t take sudden increases in staple foods well. In 1977, when President Sadat axed flour, rice, and cooking oil subsidies so as to meet the conditions of the International Monetary Fund, 79 people were killed and hundreds injured during the resulting riots. Soon afterwards, the government backed off and re-instituted the subsidies.

Since then, no leader considered axing the exorbitantly costly subsidies as they bulged further year after year. I wondered if similar reactions would take place after the floatation of the pound.

And yet this time round, Egyptians watched, perplexed, true, but accepting. Even the call for a November 11 stand off was quickly ignored. In fact, acceptance is the name of the game today. Surprised, I ask myself and you, why?

Don’t get me wrong; Egyptians are stunned and bewildered; what they bought yesterday for LE 10 is now worth LE 25. And yet they joke about it, draw cartoons about it, and make videos where some scatter brain frugally makes juice from a mere drop of fruit juice or a sliver of banana, but that is as far as the discontent goes.

Let’s figure out the main reasons for this mood. First, though Egyptians aligned themselves with January 25th, the revolution didn’t give them what they expected. In fact, many an Egyptian believes that the anguish existing today is a reflection of this same revolution, for coinciding with it foreign reserves dwindled, tourism got squashed, and extreme economic measures left Egyptians facing harsh times.

So they wonder what another upheaval may inflict upon them, and they conclude that they are better off not stirring more ripples.

Second, they look around them only to realize that despite the shortages and the pound devaluation they are so better off than neighbouring countries and its citizens who’ve lost lives, shelters, and the clothes on their backs, and became refugees. Egyptians then thank the lord for the safe environment and the potential for a better one.

Third, they are hopeful that tomorrow will bring a better life. Egyptians believe in today’s leaders and that they are working hard for them. Indeed, no leader could’ve taken bold moves such as floating the pound or cutting subsidies had he not bet on Egyptians standing behind him. Though necessary, such moves were risky, volatile ones. But finally someone was gutsy enough to go ahead and get it over and done with while facing the music head on, and Egyptians did not disappoint him.

More importantly, those in the needy brackets are supported by better wages, more commodities added to the ration system, pensions such as “Takaful and Karama,” and subsidised power if they consume less.

The wealthy, those who still insist on buying Dolce Gabbana sunglasses will be hit hard, but I’m sure that they can afford such “necessities.”

The pendulum has swung steeply and swiftly, the change never experienced before, and in the process a new Egyptian is born, one that dwells on matters before reacting, one that was bitten once and is not ready to head that route once more, and one that believes in the efforts that are being made.

It is frugality, necessity, and common sense combined.

The writer is an academic, political analyst, and author of Cairo Rewind: the First Two Years of Egypt's Revolution, 2011-2013.

 

via english.ahram.org.eg

Egypt re-opens doors

Mining Journal

On Sunday Egypt will offer gold mining tenders to international companies for the first time since 2009.

This week’s announcement by the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority, reported by Ahram Online, said bidding would open for five designated exploration areas in Sinai and the Eastern Desert.

The long-delayed tender process is expected to close in mid-April.

Egypt has long benefited from a profit-share deal with the country’s only gold-exporting mine, Centamin’s (LN:CEY) Sukari.

Petroleum minister Tarek El-Molla said Centamin had paid the government US$40 million in profits and $80 million in concession fees between July 2015 and November, according to news reports. Sukari produced 551,036 ounces of gold in 2016, above guidance and 25% more than in 2015.

Centamin expects to produce 540,000oz at an AISC of US$790/oz in 2017 according to its latest outlook released this week, in which the company also noted the profit-share deal in a comment on dividends.

“The board will aim to approve an annual dividend of at least 30% of the company’s net cash flow after sustaining capital costs and following the payment of profit share due to the government of Egypt,” the board said.

Egypt’s 2011 uprising drove away investors but the government hopes mining’s contribution to GDP will increase from below 1 to 5%, Reuters reported.

via www.mining-journal.com

Spare us the hogwash

As it appeared in Ahram Online, by Azza Radwan Sedky 

Will Donald Trump’s administration resort to purging the American system of those connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, asks an article in Bloomberg

Prefacing this article with a couple of points of clarification is essential. This article has very little to do with President-elect Donald Trump, his choice of advisers, and his intentions. Also, in no way am I siding with Trump’s notions on Islam, and his sweeping statements regarding banning Muslims from entering the US. But this article has everything to do with the disputable argument in Bloomberg’s, “Trump’s coming witch hunt against political Islam.”

The headline sets off the tone of Bloomberg’s article, and as the Egyptian saying goes, “The start of the poem is pagan,” meaning that the rest will be much of the same: hogwash.

The phrase “witch hunt” implies Trump will be hounding an innocent group, political Islamists, and as the article goes on, the Muslim Brotherhood in particular.

The article underscores Trump’s key advisers, those who lean towards considering the Muslim Brotherhood as a liability and who will aim to purge the American system and government of those connected to the Muslim Brotherhood.

This while the writer grants both President Bush and President Obama checkmarks for distinguishing between “Muslims who commit violence in the name of Islam and Muslims who seek to impose Islamic rule on secular societies through elections and free debate.”

Elaborating on this theory, the writer confirms Bush’s acceptance of political Islam, for while in Iraq he “embraced Sunni and Shia leaders from Islamist parties,” which, if nothing else, is a condescending and racist remark. Since when did a peck on someone’s cheek affirm solidarity?

As for President Obama, he went further. “His government eliminated terms like jihad and radical Islam from official FBI and Homeland Security documents.” I agree that the term “radical Islam” is erroneous, but that doesn’t mean that radical Islamists don’t exist. As for the term “jihad,” it is the term that jihadists, themselves, favour and prefer.

Obviously, a wide distinction exists between the two groups — those who commit violence in the name of Islam and those who seek to impose Islamic rule. Still, the latter is never content to impose Islamic rule by resorting to elections and free debate only.

Ask Egyptians; they will tell you. Once the Muslim Brotherhood came to power, its members assumed that they owned the land. They immediately fought tooth and nail to change the essence of Egyptian society.

In one year, the Muslim Brotherhood not only gained political dominance but also aimed at molding a new course for Egypt, altering education and curricula, the constitution, ideology, and governance to their liking.

At Muslim Brotherhood and non-Muslim Brotherhood schools, bearded teachers and veiled students adorned textbook covers. The minister of education deleted the photo of a women’s rights pioneer from a textbook because she wasn’t wearing the hijab. New and altered textbooks promoted prominent Islamists from Hamas and other militant groups.

Schools were accused of ordering students to sing “Jihadi, jihadi,” instead of “Biladi, biladi,” the opening words of the Egyptian national anthem. Soon, all schools would have focused on jihad and the caliphate to come.

A mediocre constitution favoured Islamists and denied Copts and other sects their rights. Culture was stumped by a minister who lacked knowledge and went after the knowledgeable. A member of an Islamist group that assassinated 58 tourists and four Egyptians in the 1990s was chosen to oversee the attacked governorate, Luxor, as governor.

As for Tarek El-Zomor, implicated in the assassination of President Sadat and imprisoned in 1984 until 2011, well, he was invited to attend a celebration marking Sadat’s victory during the October 6th war.

Back to Bloomberg’s article, and midway through it the author tells us that indeed there is a “kernel of truth” as far as the Muslim Brotherhood goes, that evidence has been found linking the Council on American Relations (CAIR) with Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and that the “FBI produced evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood instructed followers to advance the goal of overturning secular societies in the West to usher in Islamic rule.”

And a “kernel of truth” is all what we need to understand the mentality of the Muslim Brotherhood. Maybe the writer should become more aware of what the ex-leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Akkef, said. “To hell with Egypt if it is a secular one” and “I’d rather have a Malaysian Muslim than an Egyptian Christian rule Egypt.” Bear witness, dear writer, the Muslim Brotherhood, if able, would impose radical Islamic rule on secular societies with or without elections and free debate.

The article ends by saying that though it is still early in Trump’s administration, there are signs that a “purge” will be coming: Ted Cruz’s demand to Congress to review the Muslim Brotherhood designation as a foreign terrorist organisation for one. The writer is also disappointed that cooperation with Turkey may flounder since the Turkish ruling party is inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood. Even more so, the writer is concerned that the future of CAIR may be at stake.

Doesn’t the writer see any lopsidedness in pointing the above “challenges” to the Muslim Brotherhood when the US watched the Muslim Brotherhood wreak havoc in Egypt and didn’t lift a finger? Doesn’t the writer realise that the moment President Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was deposed, violence as Egypt had never seen before erupted? Doesn’t the writer see any anomalies in accepting the Muslim Brotherhood, the group that Egypt deemed a terrorist group, while ignoring Egypt and its needs altogether? Well, Egyptians do.

While I try to convince the writer not to sympathise with radical Islam, I agree with him on one point. My article is in no way a green light to President-elect Trump to revive Senator McCarthy’s drive against communism, this time against Muslims. However, a clearer picture of what the writer considers “political Islam,” aka the Muslim Brotherhood, was in order.

 

The writer is an academic, political analyst, and author of Cairo Rewind: the First Two Years of Egypt's Revolution, 2011-2013.

via english.ahram.org.eg

Egypt look to rekindle glory days

The Guardian Nigeria

Egypt return to the African Cup of Nations after a seven-year absence with a new generation looking to rekindle the glory days of three consecutive titles before the 2011 uprising exhausted Egyptian football.

Watching football has for decades been a favourite past-time for millions of Egyptians, especially with the national team who won the title in 2006, 2008, and 2010, making them one of the strongest teams in Africa and the Middle East.

But after 2011 this passion was rolled back among many fans due to memories of violence and was dimmed in a faltering economy.

“Egypt returns to the tournament under totally different circumstances,” Karim Ramzy, the managing editor of the independent Yallakora website, told AFP.
“Egypt’s national team has drastically changed in comparison to the team which last participated in the tournament,” said Ramzy.

The tournament kicks off on January 14 in Gabon with Egypt drawn in Group D alongside Ghana, Uganda and Mali.

Out of the 23 players called up by Argentinian coach Hector Cuper, 19 are playing for the first time in the tournament, including Roma star Mohamed Salah.

Conditions drastically changed in Egypt amid the political and security turmoil that has engulfed the country since the January 2011 uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.

These disturbances impacted football, reflected in the team’s absence from the tournament in 2012, 2013, and 2015, despite winning seven tournaments before, a continental record.

The national team does not receive the same level of support as it did under Mubarak, whose sons Gamal and Alaa used to visit training sessions and attend matches.

“Political and economic challenges” led to a reduced interest in football, said Ramzy.

“Under Mubarak, there was nothing in the country more important than football. It was more important than presidential and parliamentary elections,” he said.

Very little airtime is dedicated to the team’s participation in the tournament on satellite channels which are more occupied with the country’s political and economic crises.

With the retirement of golden era stars Mohamed Abou Treika, Ahmed Hassan, Wael Gomaa, and Mohamed Zidan, more room was made for younger players.

In addition to Salah, the lineup includes other prominent players such as Mohamed Elneny, Ramadan Sobhi, and Ahmed Elmohamady who play for the English clubs of Arsenal, Stoke City, and Hull City, and Kahraba who plays for the Saudi club Al-Ittihad.

The Egyptian team’s lineup includes 10 professional players based abroad, the biggest number in tournament history.

– A chance to reunite –
Still, the fans fear the lack of experience of the newer players, although the participation of legendary goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari and defender Ahmed Fathy, who won three tournaments, could boost the newcomers.

“Egypt’s return carries big gains for this generation of players,” Ahmed Hassan, the captain of the team that won three consecutive titles,” told AFP.

“There is a lack in experience and no interaction with African teams for many of the players, and it is possible that Egypt’s performance does not rise up to the audience’s aspirations,” said Hassan.

Still, “Egypt always does well in tournaments,” says Hassan.

In Egypt winning this tournament was an outlet for the fans frustrated at not qualifying for the World Cup since 1990.

Watching the games has been a chance for family and friends to unit behind the national team despite turmoil.

Football matches in Egypt have held behind closed doors in empty stadiums void of fans since 19 Zamalek fans were killed in February 2015 and 72 Al-Ahli fans perished three years earlier.

“I hope it becomes a big opportunity for Egyptians to come together behind one team that is playing under Egypt’s name, especially after the country went through a terrible phase of polarisation,” added Hany Hathout, a presenter with private eXtra News channel.

via guardian.ng

الداخلية: وداعا للنقاب والخمار " البرقع " واللباس الآفغاني بالمغرب ‎

 الكارح أبو سالم - هبة بري

 

شرعت السلطات المحلية نهاية الأسبوع المنصرم في توجيه تعليمات لكل من يتاجر أو يعمل في مجال خياطة البرقع أو النقاب والألبسة الأفغانية قاضية بالكف عن إنجازها أو عرضها للبيع , ومنحت فرصة للتخلص منها تحت طائلة إجراءات زجرية

 

هذا وقد اتصل بهبة بريس أمس الأحد أحد الباعة المتجولين من مدينة سلا وأكد على أن مقر العمالة شهد إجتماعا ضم أعضاء السلطة المحلية بكل تلاوينها وبحضور عدد من عناصر بعض الأجهزة الترابية، إجتمعت بمجموعة من الباعة المتجولين والخياطة المتخصصين وأصحاب بعض المحلات المتخصصة في بيع مايعرف بالسدل والبرقع والنقاب والخمار على الطريقة الأفغانية، وأعطيت لهم تعليمات صارمة للتخلص من هاته السلع في أجل جد محدود بعد أن وقعوا جميعهم إلتزامات بذلك 

 

القرار خلف لدى بعضهم إستياءا نظرا للمباغثة - يقول المتحدث لهبة بريس - من جهة، ولعدم احتكامه لمشروعية قانونية برلمانية من جهة أخر

 

وقد عرفت غالبية المدن المغربية في الشمال كطنجة وشفشاون والمدن المجاورة، وجنوب المغرب في كل من تارودانت وهوارة ومدن أخرى انطلاق حملة منع بيع أو خياطة البرقع والخمار مع تنوع في طريقة تبليغ سلطات هاته المدن المعنيين بالأمر, بين إستدعاء مباشر , وتكوين لجان لزيارة محلات البيع والخياطة 

 

 

via www.hibapress.com

Frugality, necessity, or common sense

“I don’t fill the electric kettle to the brim anymore; I boil only enough water for my cup of tea,” “I do better; I stopped using the electric kettle altogether and shifted back to the stove teapot,” “Every lamp that needs to be replaced I replace with an LED one,” “I’m pulling out my old clothes—they are worth revisiting,” “The sugar crisis hasn’t affected me one bit; I don’t add sugar to either my coffee or tea,” and “I refused to buy Mawlid (birth of Prophet Mohamed) sweets this year; it was so expensive, it wasn’t worth it.” 

Peculiarly, this is what Egyptians tell one another today; in addition, they are buying Egyptian products, the ones they disregarded and discarded for decades. “Do you realize that we pay 120 million dollars to import American apples, and that’s before the pound devaluation? That’s insane!” “Can’t we weave our own prayer carpets, for heaven’s sake? They cost a fortune,” or “Where can one find Shabrawichi perfume products? I used to love 555,” and “I bet Nabulsi Shaheen soap would do wonders for my hair.”

These are only a few of the comments exchanged amongst Egyptians in the last little while. These comments mirror their reactions to the recent economic challenges.

After the floatation of the pound and the restrictions on power and fuel subsidies, Egyptians are trying to adjust to the hikes. They realize that money does not grow on trees and what it, money, brings in today is less than what it brought in yesterday; hence, they are applying all the thrifty tactics they can think of to get more out of the same pound, an excellent approach if I may add.

Egyptians are now fully aware of the dilemma they face. They lived in la la land for too long, and the time has come to pay the expected dues, so they are succumbing to the changes. But is it out of frugality, necessity, or common sense?

I had gotten myself worried sick about how Egyptians will react to price hikes, which seemed to have engulfed every single item whether local or imported from an arugula bunch to hefty salmon fillets, from sugar to Nescafe Gold, and from key lime to designer shoes. I worried because I didn’t know how Egyptians would take the surge in prices. I shouldn’t have though since Egyptians proved my fretting unnecessary.

From previous experience, the bread riots in particular, Egyptians don’t take sudden increases in staple foods well. In 1977, when President Sadat axed flour, rice, and cooking oil subsidies so as to meet the conditions of the International Monetary Fund, 79 people were killed and hundreds injured during the resulting riots. Soon afterwards, the government backed off and re-instituted the subsidies.

Since then, no leader considered axing the exorbitantly costly subsidies as they bulged further year after year. I wondered if similar reactions would take place after the floatation of the pound.

And yet this time round, Egyptians watched, perplexed, true, but accepting. Even the call for a November 11 stand off was quickly ignored. In fact, acceptance is the name of the game today. Surprised, I ask myself and you, why?

Don’t get me wrong; Egyptians are stunned and bewildered; what they bought yesterday for LE 10 is now worth LE 25. And yet they joke about it, draw cartoons about it, and make videos where some scatter brain frugally makes juice from a mere drop of fruit juice or a sliver of banana, but that is as far as the discontent goes.

Let’s figure out the main reasons for this mood. First, though Egyptians aligned themselves with January 25th, the revolution didn’t give them what they expected. In fact, many an Egyptian believes that the anguish existing today is a reflection of this same revolution, for coinciding with it foreign reserves dwindled, tourism got squashed, and extreme economic measures left Egyptians facing harsh times. So they wonder what another upheaval may inflict upon them, and they conclude that they are better off not stirring more ripples.

Second, they look around them only to realize that despite the shortages and the pound devaluation they are so better off than neighbouring countries and its citizens who’ve lost lives, shelters, and the clothes on their backs, and became refugees. Egyptians then thank the lord for the safe environment and the potential for a better one.

Third, they are hopeful that tomorrow will bring a better life. Egyptians believe in today’s leaders and that they are working hard for them. Indeed, no leader could’ve taken bold moves such as floating the pound or cutting subsidies had he not bet on Egyptians standing behind him. Though necessary, such moves were risky, volatile ones. But finally someone was gutsy enough to go ahead and get it over and done with while facing the music head on, and Egyptians did not disappoint him. 

More importantly, those in the needy brackets are supported by better wages, more commodities added to the ration system, pensions such as “Takaful and Karama,” and subsidized power if they consume less. The wealthy, those who still insist on buying Dolce Gabbana sunglasses will be hit hard, but I’m sure that they can afford such “necessities.”

The pendulum has swung steeply and swiftly, the change never experienced before, and in the process a new Egyptian is born, one that dwells on matters before reacting, one that was bitten once and is not ready to head that route once more, and one that believes in the efforts that are being made.

It is frugality, necessity, and common sense combined.

Why anti-nepotism law might not apply to Kushner appointment | New York Post

Here is a post that seems to side with the new development. It basically says that anti-nepotism law may not apply. New York Post, by  Daniel Halper and Mark Moore. Read on here.  

Jared Kushner, Getty Images

Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who played a critical behind-the-scenes role in the presidential campaign, will take a similar position in the White House as a senior adviser, it was announced Monday.

“It is an honor to serve our country,” Kushner said in a statement. “I am energized by the shared passion of the president-elect and the American people and I am humbled by the opportunity to join this very talented team.”

Kushner immediately disclosed plans to sell most of his New York holdings, all his foreign holdings, his stake in the family real-estate business and his ownership of the weekly New York Observer.

The Trump transition team also said he would forgo a salary.

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inRead invented by Teads

Kushner, the husband of Trump’s oldest daughter, Ivanka, was facing a number of questions about conflicts of interest because of his extensive business holdings and a 1967 federal anti-nepotism law that prohibits “public officials” from appointing relatives to agencies they oversee.

“Son-in-law” comes under the designation of “relatives.”

But even David Brock, one of Hillary Clinton’s fiercest defenders, said Kushner — who turns 36 on Tuesday — shouldn’t have a problem.

“While the anti-nepotism law is a murky landscape, Kushner appears to be taking the proper steps regarding the ethics and disclosure requirements for federal employees,” Brock said in an e-mail to The Post.

Mayor de Blasio, who bashes Trump at every opportunity, nevertheless welcomed Kushner’s appointment.

“He’s certainly someone I’ve been talking to over these last weeks. He’s someone I intend to stay in touch with on behalf of the people of New York City. He’s someone who really cares about New York City and is someone that would be very helpful to us. So I’m certainly pleased he’ll be in that role,” de Blasio said.

“And I can say, clearly, compared to many other people who’ve been named to other positions, I find him to be a lot more reasonable and a lot more moderate.”

Experts were divided about whether the anti-nepotism law, signed by Lyndon Johnson a half-century ago, would apply.

“I would err on the side of caution and say that the statute prohibits the appointment, but far riskier would be not doing the appointment and then allowing him a significant role in policy,” said Richard Painter, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School who served as George W. Bush’s top ethics lawyer.

Johnson signed the nepotism law in response to his predecessor, President John F. Kennedy, appointing his brother, Robert, as attorney general.

It clearly prohibits the president from appointing relatives to the Cabinet.

It’s not so clear when it comes to non-Cabinet positions in the White House.

A court ruling in 1993 clearing Hillary Clinton’s appointment to her husband Bill Clinton’s administration to work on heath-care reform may give the Trump transition team hope in fighting the law.

via nypost.com

Despite anti-nepotism laws, Donald Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner to take senior White House role

Worth reposting even if it is not on Egypt.
Via National Post,Jonathan Lemire And Julie Pace, The Associated Press. Read on here. 

This file photo taken on November 9, 2016 shows (From L) Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner and Tiffany Trump during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump appointed his influential son-in-law Jared Kushner as a White House senior adviser Monday, putting the young real estate executive in position to exert broad sway over both domestic and foreign policy, particularly Middle East issues and trade negotiations.

Trump has come to rely heavily on Kushner, who is married to the president-elect’s daughter Ivanka. Since the election, the political novice has been one of the transition team’s main liaisons to foreign governments, communicating with Israeli officials and meeting Sunday with Britain’s foreign minister. He’s also huddled with congressional leaders and helped interview Cabinet candidates.

Ivanka Trump, who also played a significant role advising her father during the presidential campaign, will not be taking a formal White House position. Transition officials said the mother of three young children wanted to focus on moving her family from New York to Washington.

Kushner’s own eligibility for the White House could be challenged, given a 1967 law meant to bar government officials from hiring relatives. Kushner lawyer Jamie Gorelick argued Monday that the law does not apply to the West Wing. She cited a later congressional measure to allow the president “unfettered” and “sweeping” authority in hiring staff.

In a statement, Trump said Kushner will be an “invaluable member of my team as I set and execute an ambitious agenda.”

 

Kushner will resign as CEO of his family’s real estate company and as publisher of the New York Observer. He will also divest “substantial assets,” Gorelick said. The lawyer said Kushner would not be taking a salary. Ivanka Trump will also be leaving her executive roles at the Trump Organization — her father’s real estate company — and her own fashion brands.

Kushner, who turns 36 on Tuesday, emerged as one of Trump’s most powerful campaign advisers during his father-in-law’s often unorthodox presidential bid — a calming presence in an otherwise chaotic campaign. Soft-spoken and press-shy, he was deeply involved in the campaign’s digital efforts and was usually at Trump’s side during the election’s closing weeks.

He has continued to be a commanding presence during the transition, working alongside incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and senior adviser Steve Bannon. He’s played a key role in co-ordinating Trump’s contacts with foreign leaders and has been talking with foreign government officials himself, according to a person with knowledge of the conversations.

Last week, Kushner and Bannon — the controversial conservative media executive — met with British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.

Kushner and Bannon have also worked closely on issues related to Israel, including discussions over moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, which could inflame tensions in the Middle East, and on the Trump administration’s response to a United Nations Security Council measure condemning Israeli settlements.

Kushner is also weighing in on domestic policy. He joined other Trump advisers Monday night for a meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on tax reform. He championed the pick of his friend Gary Cohn, the president of Goldman Sachs, for a top White House economic post, and Cohn’s influence within Trump’s team is said to be growing. He’s been a conduit between Trump’s team and the private sector, a role transition officials said would continue in the White House.

via news.nationalpost.com