Latest news with #HanafyGebaly
The National
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Egypt's parliament summons communications minister over deadly Cairo fire amid public outcry
Egypt 's parliament sharply criticised the government on Tuesday over its handling of a fire at the Ramses Central telecoms hub in Cairo, an incident that killed four people and caused widespread disruption to internet, phone and financial services. In a televised address during Parliament's general session on Tuesday, Speaker Hanafy Gebaly summoned Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat to appear before lawmakers. The decision was taken after a large number of official complaints were submitted by MPs, he said. 'It is the minister's responsibility to appear before parliament immediately after such a major incident, to explain what happened,' Mr Gebaly said. He added that Mr Talaat 'should have been the first person' to attend the session and that his failure to do so undermined transparency. During the session, MPs also demanded accountability and urgent action. One MP, Diaa El Din Dawoud, described the response to the fire as a 'catastrophic failure' and accused the government of neglecting Egypt's telecoms infrastructure, despite significant investment in digital transformation projects. 'The entire country came to a halt because of a fire in one telecommunications hub,' Mr Dawoud said. In his address, videos of which were widely shared on social media, he added that the fire exposed the fragility of Egypt's telecoms infrastructure. He questioned what happened to the funding allocated to digital transformation projects. Amr Darwish, another MP, said a parliamentary committee should be set up to investigate the incident, while MP Ahmed Farghaly called for the senior officials to resign. The Ramses fire, which started in a seventh-floor operations room on Monday evening, burnt for six hours before being contained. At least 39 people were injured, including firefighters, civil defence officials said. The fire caused significant disruption to critical services, with internet and phone connectivity across Cairo and parts of Giza severely affected. Financial services were also disrupted. Services began to improve on Tuesday as other telecoms hubs across the country absorbed some of the load. Full restoration of services was expected by Wednesday morning. Mr Gebaly directed the parliamentary communications committee to convene an emergency meeting with Mr Talaat to investigate the circumstances of the fire. Mr Gebaly said he would monitor the committee's findings and ensure they were shared with the public. The scathing response from parliament came amid public criticism on social media. "What happened at Ramses Central exposes significant flaws in the protection and security systems of a sector that has long received substantial funding to maintain its services. It is both astonishing and regrettable that communications could fail and descend into chaos without any ready alternative plans in place," one X user said. While parliament was debating the Ramses fire, a blaze broke out at a sponge factory in the industrial zone of New Damietta City, in the Nile Delta. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Al-Ahram Weekly
02-07-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt parliament approves overhauling controversial old rent law amid opposition walkout - Society
The Egyptian House of Representatives has approved a highly anticipated and contentious bill aimed at overhauling the country's decades-old "old rent" law, sparking a walkout by opposition lawmakers. The legislation, which introduces a transitional period before ending existing contracts and significantly raises rental values, seeks to rebalance the relationship between landlords and tenants. The bill was approved on Wednesday during a general session chaired by Speaker Hanafy Gebaly. It marks a significant shift from the current rental system, which has long favoured tenants with fixed, low rents. The old rent law is one of Egypt's most complex social and legal issues, affecting millions of tenants and landlords across generations. Thousands of apartments, worth millions, are still rented for very little in Egypt because of rent freezes under the old law, leaving landlords unable to reclaim their property for years. While landlords have frequently sought to reclaim their properties through complaints, many tenants, who are mostly pensioners, have voiced concerns about being unable to move out and purchase new homes due to high costs. According to official figures, 1.6 million original tenants and 3.019 million units were rented nationwide as of 2017 under the old rent law. Key changes under the newly approved law include the following: Transitional Periods: A seven-year transitional period will be implemented for residential units, and a five-year transitional period will be applied to non-residential units. After these periods, tenants must vacate the properties, and all old rent laws will be abolished. However, the parliament also approved a government-proposed amendment to Article 8, which governs the provision of alternative housing for affected tenants. The amendment stipulates that the original tenant may not be evicted from the rented unit before at least one year has passed since a suitable alternative housing option — chosen by the tenant — has been made available, if no agreement is reached with the landlord. Rent Increases in Residential Units: Rents for prime residential areas will increase by 20 times the current legal value, with a minimum of EGP 1,000. Moderate regions will see a 10-fold increase, with a minimum of EGP 400, and economic areas will see a minimum of EGP 250. Rent Increases in Non-Residential Units (Natural Persons): Rents will increase by five times the current value. Annual Increments: During the transitional period, all rents (residential and non-residential) will see an annual increase of 15 percent. Classification Committees: Committees will be formed in each governorate to classify residential areas into 'prime,' 'moderate,' and 'economic' based on geographical location, building quality, infrastructure, and available services. These committees are expected to complete their work within three months of the law's enactment. New Eviction Cases: Landlords can now seek eviction if a property has been closed for over a year without justification or if the tenant owns another usable unit for the same purpose. State-Provided Alternatives: Tenants affected by the law will have the right to request allocation of alternative housing or non-residential units by the state, either for rent or ownership. Priority will be given to vulnerable groups, particularly the original tenant, their spouse, and parents from whom the lease was extended. Opposition walks out in protest Opposition members, including those from the Justice, Tagammu, and Egyptian Social Democratic Parties, walked out of the parliamentary session in protest of the bill's approval. They released a statement declaring their 'disavowal' of the bill and condemning the government's refusal to amend its terms. The dissenting lawmakers, including prominent figures like Diaa El-Din Daooud and Abdel-Moneim Emam, expressed their failure to secure amendments that would have extended the transitional period and preserved the rights of original tenants and their families. They argued that the government exploited a Constitutional Court ruling, which only addressed rent value adjustments, to push through broader changes that affect legal centres not covered by the court's decision. 'We spared no sincere and honest effort, whether during committee discussions or in the general session, to preserve the stability of the nation and the integrity of the internal front and provide a legislative product that maintains the rights of landlords and tenants in a balanced manner,' the opposition statement read. They added that attempts to exclude original tenants, their spouses, and children from the termination of rental relationships were unsuccessful. Debate over transitional period length A primary point of contention was the proposed seven-year transitional period for residential units. Opposition members advocated for a longer period, with some suggesting 10 years and others 15, to provide more stability for tenants. MP Osama El-Masry proposed extending the period to 10 years, while MP Samira El-Gazzar suggested 15 years. Meanwhile, MP Hany Abaza criticized the explanatory memorandum for lacking clear justifications for the chosen transitional periods. 'I cannot find anything in the explanatory memorandum that tells me why five or 10 years; the article is set in a random manner. A disciplined scientific programme must be followed,' he stated. MP Sahar Bashir recounted a call from a tenant offering to sell a kidney to buy an apartment, highlighting the dire situations some tenants face. 'The law has stirred up a stagnant issue, and landlords hold a stick over tenants,' she said. However, the government remained firm regarding the seven years, resulting in the opposition's withdrawal from the session after Article 2 of the bill, which outlines the transitional period, was passed. The new law is expected to significantly impact millions of Egyptians who live in properties under the old rent system, which has been in place for decades with extremely low rents for long-term tenants. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Zawya
30-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egyptian Parliament approves 12% annual hike in cigarette prices
The Egyptian House of Representatives, in a general session on Sunday chaired by Speaker Hanafy Gebaly, approved a government-submitted draft law amending select provisions of the Value Added Tax Law (Law No. 67 of 2016). The amendment aims to strengthen state revenues and promote tax and social equity. Under the new legislation, both the minimum and maximum retail price thresholds for cigarettes will increase by 12% annually over three years, starting on 5 November 2025. The rate of increase may be adjusted downward based on changes in production costs. This measure is part of broader government efforts to expand the tax base and raise public revenues amid ongoing financial pressures. Specifically, the amendments raise the maximum retail price for local cigarettes sold for less than EGP 38.88 to EGP 48. Cigarettes priced between EGP 38.88 and EGP 56.44 will now fall within a new range of EGP 48 to EGP 69. For imported cigarette brands previously priced up to EGP 56.44, the cap will also be raised to EGP 69. These price thresholds are set to increase annually by 12% through 2028. In addition, the law introduces a significant change to the taxation of alcoholic beverages, shifting from a percentage-based system to a fixed-rate structure. Taxes will now be levied based on alcohol content, with an annual increase of 15% for three consecutive years.. © 2024 Daily News Egypt. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Daily News Egypt
29-06-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Egyptian Parliament approves 12% annual hike in cigarette prices
The Egyptian House of Representatives, in a general session on Sunday chaired by Speaker Hanafy Gebaly, approved a government-submitted draft law amending select provisions of the Value Added Tax Law (Law No. 67 of 2016). The amendment aims to strengthen state revenues and promote tax and social equity. Under the new legislation, both the minimum and maximum retail price thresholds for cigarettes will increase by 12% annually over three years, starting on 5 November 2025. The rate of increase may be adjusted downward based on changes in production costs. This measure is part of broader government efforts to expand the tax base and raise public revenues amid ongoing financial pressures. Specifically, the amendments raise the maximum retail price for local cigarettes sold for less than EGP 38.88 to EGP 48. Cigarettes priced between EGP 38.88 and EGP 56.44 will now fall within a new range of EGP 48 to EGP 69. For imported cigarette brands previously priced up to EGP 56.44, the cap will also be raised to EGP 69. These price thresholds are set to increase annually by 12% through 2028. In addition, the law introduces a significant change to the taxation of alcoholic beverages, shifting from a percentage-based system to a fixed-rate structure. Taxes will now be levied based on alcohol content, with an annual increase of 15% for three consecutive years..
Egypt Independent
28-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Independent
House okays Egypt-Serbia free trade agreement
CAIRO, May 26 (MENA) – The House of Representatives approved during its plenary session Monday under Speaker Hanafy Gebaly Presidential Decree No. 115 of Year 2025 concerning a free trade agreement between Egypt and Serbia. According to a report of the joint committee of the House's Economic Affairs Committee and the offices of the Planning and Budget and Foreign Relations Committees, the agreement comes within the framework of the two countries' interest in strengthening trade exchange, and industrial and investment ties, as well as enhancing and developing economic and trade relations in a manner that opens up broader horizons for cooperation. The agreement also aims to double the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Serbia over the next five years, compared to the current value that is worth $89 million. (MENA)
