Accurate health insurance PRESIDENT Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on Monday called for the “accurate implementation” of the comprehensive health insurance system to provide high-quality service to Egyptians. The president's statement came during a meeting with Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and Health Minister Hala Zayed, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said. The president stressed that the state gives high priority to the medical care sector. The meeting reviewed executive steps taken by the Health Ministry to apply the comprehensive health insurance system to Port Said governorate and improve the quality of professional medical education. Zayed said the system was launched in seven hospitals and 26 health centres in Port Said, adding that 506,000 people had been registered. She also spoke about preparations to apply the health insurance system in other governorates, including Ismailia, Suez, South Sinai, Luxor and Aswan. Zayed noted that her ministry went into partnership with international educational institutions, including the Royal College of Physicians and Harvard University, to boost professional medical education.
Paid day off MINISTER of Manpower Mohamed Saafan announced that Sunday 6 October will be a fully paid day off for all private sector employees subject to Labour Law 12/2003. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Saafan said that employers who will operate their businesses on that day should give their employees double the normal wage. The day marks the anniversary of the 6 October 1973 War victory against Israel.
Horrid crime GRAND Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb has called for the maximum penalty against those responsible for the death of five-year-old Janna who was reportedly tortured to death by her grandmother in Daqahliya governorate. Al-Tayeb also promised to pay the medical bills for Janna's sister, Amany, who suffered similar abuse and to cover her psychological rehabilitation and school fees. Janna died on Saturday at Sherbeen Hospital in Daqahliya after suffering physical abuse at the hands of her maternal grandmother who is currently in police custody on charges of torture, according to the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood. The exact cause of death has not yet been determined. The grandmother, who had been awarded custody of Janna and her six-year-old sister Amany following their parents' divorce, is accused of inflicting burns on both girls. The victim was admitted to Sherbeen General Hospital where hospital staff contacted police after discovering that the child had multiple scars and injuries on her body, including burns in the genital area. According to the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, Janna also suffered from gangrene infections in various parts of her body. The council has urged Facebook users not to circulate images of Janna and Amany out of respect for their privacy, and has called on citizens who witness abuse to report it to the council's child abuse hotline (16000).
Second new Airbus EGYPTAIR received its second new Airbus A220-300 on Tuesday. In a statement, chairman of the EgyptAir Holding Company Ahmed Adel said the new aircraft, which touched down at Cairo Airport, had come from the Merbel factory in Canada. The new plane is part of a major strategy to upgrade the carrier's fleet. EgyptAir bought 12 Airbus A220-300 planes in a deal with Canadian manufacturer Bombardier signed last month, to be delivered through June 2020. The new aircraft will operate on both regional and domestic routes, the statement said.
Account deficit rises THE CENTRAL BANK of Egypt has announced that the balance of payments recorded an overall deficit of $8.2 billion during fiscal year (FY) 2018-19, as the overall surplus of $1.7 billion during the second half of the year broadly offset the overall deficit during the first half of the year. According to the CBE's balance of payments developments in FY 2018-19, which tracks the balance payments performance, the current account deficit reached $8.2 billion compared to $6 billion in FY 2017-18. The oil trade balance recorded a surplus for the first time since FY 2012-13, registering $8.1 million compared to a deficit of $3.7 billion in FY 2017/2018 due to the leap in investments in the oil and gas sector and a number of other developments. Oil export proceeds increased by 31.7 per cent, recording $11.6 billion compared to $8.8 billion in FY 2017/2018 due to higher exports of natural gas and oil products on the back of the rise in exported quantities and world oil prices. “Oil import payments declined by 7.5 per cent, recording $11.5 billion compared to $12.5 billion in FY 2017-18. Imported quantity of oil products and crude oil have also declined,” the CBE said in a statement. The non-oil trade balance saw a widened deficit by 13.4 per cent, registering $38 billion compared to $33.6 billion in FY 2017-18, driven by the rise in non-oil imports by 8.6 per cent (to $55 billion) compared to $50.6 billion in FY 2017-18. “This was partly driven by the recovery of economic activity which was reflected in higher GDP growth,” the statement said.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 October, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
