Salary increase THE GOVERNMENT is set to take a series of measures to increase salaries of civil employees and improve their financial situation. Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Radi said in a statement that President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi instructed the cabinet to approve a seven per cent increase in gross salary to be paid as a bonus to workers covered by the civil service law as of this July. Another monthly bonus that equals 12 per cent of the basic salary will be granted to state employees not subject to the law. The total sum of incentives will cost the government LE31 billion for the new fiscal year. Al-Sisi also called for increasing the limit for income tax exemption from LE8,000 to LE15,000 annually and ordered the introduction of a new tax bracket of 2.5 per cent instead of 10 per cent for those who earn less than LE35,000 annually.
No locust spread THE AGRICULTURE Ministry has denied reports circulating on websites and social media on the spread of locusts in Matrouh governorate. In a statement issued on Sunday, the ministry said a committee had been formed to inspect an area east of the governorate and found that such reports were baseless. The ministry also said that it placed facilities on high alert and was coordinating with bodies concerned, providing equipment and pesticides needed to battle locusts. The ministry also urged media outlets to verify the accuracy of any information to avoid spreading rumours. Hundreds of billions of locusts are swarming through parts of East Africa and South Asia in the worst infestation for a quarter of a century, threatening crops and livelihoods.
Train officials detained FOUR railway employees were remanded in custody for four days pending an investigation over last Thursday's collision of two passenger trains. The incident occurred when two trains coming from Upper Egypt collided in the Rod Al-Farag district in Cairo. One of the trains was waiting for permission to proceed to Ramses station, while the other moved in the same direction. Torrential storms that day caused the signaling system to break down, resulting in the collision which left 13 people injured. The drivers of the trains were released after investigations showed they were not at fault for the accident. However, the chief technician, two observers and a supervisor at the Imbaba control tower were detained. Investigations revealed that the railway halted work on Thursday, with the automatic light signals failing to regulate the flow of trains as a result of the weather. A paper-based system was used instead to allow trains to pass between the control towers. The employees were taken into custody following a decree issued by Prosecutor-General Hamada Al-Sawi. *A version of this article appears in print in the 19 March, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
