Briefs
Smoking hot bread
IN AN ATTEMPT to put an end to the bread crisis, President Hosni Mubarak decided that the National Services Authority of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Interior will help produce subsidised bread. During a ministerial meeting on Sunday, Mubarak underlined the importance of providing bread to all citizens and that the familiar scenes of endless queues to buy bread must end.
Moreover, Mubarak directed that the processes of bread production and distribution should be separated as soon as possible in all governorates, since it is the best way to stop the selling of subsidised flour on the black market. He added that the subsidy budget was raised to face increasing wheat prices on the international market, but the problem lies in the administration, management and supervision of the problem.
Meanwhile, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi announced that his ministry is establishing new bakeries in 249 villages, where one person's ration of bread is only two loaves a day due to the lack of bakeries. Meselhi added that the Armed Forces will soon launch 10 large bread production units in Greater Cairo, each housing between 14 to 20 production lines to bake subsidised bread for the capital's huge population.
The government denied recent press reports that it intends to determine a daily ration of bread for consumers. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif said that the government is committed to providing subsidised bread for all the people, and that the budget for subsidised flour was raised and will continue to do so particularly in high-density governorates.
Studying the European model
DELEGATIONS from 22 Arab countries presided over by heads of unions and chambers of commerce were in Cairo this week to discuss how best to benefit from the European experience in the Arab economic integration process. A seminar on the topic was held on Tuesday and was organised by the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab countries and the Egyptian Federation of Chambers of Commerce in cooperation with the EU.
Attending the inaugural session were Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga, Ambassador Klaus Ebermann, head of the European Commission to Cairo, and Arab Union Chief Adnan Kassar. The event aimed to discuss the EU's success in applying a single market, the mechanisms used and how to overcome obstacles -- particularly with the accession of 10 new Eastern Europe states into the economic grouping over the past two years.
The seminar also aimed to present practical recommendations for speeding up the process of Arab economic integration which will be submitted before the Arab Economic and Social Development summit scheduled for January 2009 in Kuwait. These are based on successful models such as the EU which the Trade Committee in the Arab Union studied last year.
The one-day gathering was divided into two plenary sessions in which representatives from the EU presented their experience, relevant projects which were implemented, funding stages and periods of application. In the second session, the Arab side discussed means of benefiting from this information and suggested mechanisms for transferring expertise. They also took into consideration the Arab state of affairs, especially in the fields of country of origin, specifications, examination methods, customs and transport systems, and other basic mechanisms for developing trade and economic integration. A sub-committee will be created to draft recommendations.
The seminar comes in parallel with the meetings of the Arab Union Council held a day earlier, Monday. These were attended by 70 heads of Arab unions and chambers of commerce, in addition to the EU, the Council of the Egyptian Federation of Chambers of Commerce and heads of Egyptian chambers.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/889/ec1.htm