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Middle East
2 days ago
- Business
- Middle East
IDSC sheds lights on 8 most frequently asked questions about 'halal' certification for dairy, meat imports
CAIRO, June 4 (MENA) - The Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) shed light Wednesday on most eight frequently asked questions about the government's decisions related to the "halal" certification through an infographic published on its official social media platforms. The infographic addressed the Cabinet's decision to cancel "halal" certification requirements for dairy imports, a move that generated a lot of discussions about the nature of the certification and its impact on Egypt's dairy imports, as well as its implications on imported meat and poultry. The infographic brought about the eight most frequently asked questions about "halal" certification for imported dairy and meat products. It said a "halal" certification is a process carried out by a credible and accredited conformity assessment body certifying that a company's products or services meet "halal" standards and requirements. The certificate's importance lies in assuring Muslims that the products they consume comply with Islamic Sharia law, thereby enhancing consumer trust and preventing confusion as to products' religious permissibility. The infographic said halal certifications are granted only to companies that meet required standards, and these companies are permitted to put on the "halal" label on their products. The certification applies to sectors related to food industries, cosmetics, and personal care products. Egypt's decision to cancel "halal" certification for dairy products stems from the concrete fact that milk comes from live animals. Hence, the idea of mixing halal dairy with non-halal dairy is considered illogical. International monitoring has shown that halal certifications are not required for dairy in Muslim countries and are mainly applied to meat and poultry. Egypt imports various dairy products, including powdered milk and cheese, all from well-known sources, the infographic further noted. These products undergo inspections to ensure they meet standard specifications and verify the type of milk giving animals that produce milk for human consumption. Regarding meat, the infographic clarified that Egypt imports around 50% of its meat needs from world countries. No meat shipment enters the country without being thoroughly reviewed by a specialized committee to ensure that the slaughtering process complies with Islamic (halal) methods of slaughter and that the shipment is fully prepared to enter the Egyptian market in accordance with Islamic Law (Sharia). (MENA) R R N/S A S
Egypt Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Today
IDSC: International tourism recorded 5% growth in the 1st quarter of 2025
Tourism - file CAIRO - 4 June 2025: The Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) of the Cabinet highlighted a World Tourism Organization report indicating continued recovery in international tourism during the first quarter of 2025, recording a 5 percent growth compared to the previous year, along with increased visitor spending and tourism revenues. This reflects the sector's resilience despite geopolitical and economic challenges and rising travel and tourism service prices. The report indicated that more than 300 million international tourists traveled in the first three months of this year; an increase of 14 million compared to the same period in 2024. This performance also exceeds 2019 figures by 3 percent. The report emphasized that tourism is emerging as a major service sector in every region of the world, providing millions of jobs and supporting a large number of commercial activities. It noted that the continued rise in the number of international arrivals, along with increased tourism spending, demonstrates the sector's strength despite crises. The report added that Europe welcomed 125 million international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2025, a 2% increase compared to the previous year and a 5% increase over pre-pandemic levels. The Southern Mediterranean region saw similar growth of 2%, while Central and Eastern Europe recorded an 8% increase, although numbers remained below 2019 levels. The report indicated that Africa recorded strong growth of 9% compared to the previous year, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 16%. In the Americas, numbers rose by 2%, with some South American destinations achieving a remarkable 13% growth thanks to the Southern Hemisphere summer season. The Middle East recorded a slight increase of 1%, but arrivals remained 44% higher than pre-pandemic levels. In a related context, the Asia-Pacific region recorded the highest growth rate in the first quarter of 2025, at 12%, approaching 92% of pre-pandemic levels. Northeast Asia's performance stood out, with a 23% growth compared to 2024, reaching 91% of 2019 figures. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), international air travel demand increased by 8%, while air capacity increased by 7%. The report indicated that international tourism receipts data in the first quarter of 2025 showed strong growth in visitor spending in several destinations. Spain recorded a 9% increase, while Turkey achieved a 7% increase. Greece, Italy, and Portugal recorded a 4% growth. France also achieved a 6% growth, Norway achieved a 20% growth, and Denmark grew by 11%. In Asia and the Pacific, Japan saw a 34% increase in revenues, Nepal achieved 18% growth, while South Korea and Mongolia each recorded 14% growth. In the United States, the world's largest tourism revenue market, growth in the first quarter of 2025 was approximately 3%, following 14% in 2024. The report stated that 2024 data was revised to confirm that international tourism receipts, including revenues and air transport, reached $2.0 trillion, an 11% increase over 2023 and 15% above pre-pandemic levels. These receipts represent 6% of total global exports of goods and services and 23% of global trade in services. The report concluded that despite the strong performance, the global tourism sector faces ongoing challenges. Recent surveys of tourism experts indicated that slowing economic growth, rising travel costs, and increased customs duties are the most prominent risks. Declining consumer confidence and geopolitical tensions also emerged as influential factors that could cast a shadow over tourism performance in 2025.
Egypt Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Today
Egypt increases health budget to LE 496 Billion in 2024/2025
CAIRO – 2 June 2025: The Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) under the Egyptian Cabinet has revealed that Egypt has firmly established a robust pharmaceutical manufacturing base in recent years, significantly boosting both technical capabilities and production output. As a result, the country has achieved an impressive 91 percent self-sufficiency in medicine. Today, Egypt is home to more than 179 pharmaceutical factories, including 11 internationally accredited facilities, along with 150 factories for medical supplies, 5 for raw material production, and 4 specialized in biological products. Altogether, the nation operates over 986 pharmaceutical production lines, marking a major leap in local healthcare manufacturing. In a parallel effort to reinforce the healthcare system, the Egyptian government has increased the national health budget by 24.9 percent for the 2024/2025 fiscal year, raising the allocation to approximately LE 496 billion, up from LE 397 billion in 2023/2024. This increase meets the constitutional obligation for healthcare funding in the new state budget. Moreover, the government affirmed its continued commitment to the state-funded medical treatment program, with no interruptions planned. The budget allocated to this program has been raised by 16.1 percent, reaching LE 10.1 billion in 2024/2025, compared to LE 8.7 billion in the previous fiscal year. These developments reflect Egypt's strategic focus on health sovereignty and public wellbeing.
See - Sada Elbalad
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
IDSC: Cultural Palaces Continue Operations at Full Capacity Across Governorates
Ahmed Emam Egypt's Minister of Culture, Ahmed Fouad Hanno, has firmly denied recent rumors suggesting the closure of cultural palaces, houses of culture, or rented apartments used for community-based cultural activities. In a statement to the Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC), the minister emphasized that no decisions have been made to shut down any cultural establishments that play a genuine role in serving the public. Hanno clarified that the Ministry of Culture remains committed to operating all cultural facilities at full capacity across various regions and governorates, continuing to offer a wide range of cultural and artistic services to the public. 'There will be no closure of cultural palaces or rented spaces that add value and serve as active community hubs,' Hanno said, stressing the government's commitment to preserving and enhancing cultural outreach. He further explained that the ministry is currently conducting a comprehensive evaluation process aimed at reviewing operations, reorganizing work structures, and improving the efficiency of some facilities — both in terms of infrastructure and human resources. He assured that this is still in the planning and coordination phase, and no final decisions have been made. The minister's remarks come amid public concern following media reports alleging the shutdown of several cultural centers, which he described as containing significant inaccuracies. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
Daily News Egypt
14-05-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt aims to reduce external debt by $1-2bn this fiscal year: Finance Minister
Egypt's Minister of Finance, Ahmed Kouchouk, has stated that the government is targeting a reduction in external debt by $1bn to $2bn during the current fiscal year. This comes as part of a broader strategy to lower government indebtedness, which includes exploring new financing instruments. Kouchouk announced that the government is considering issuing local sukuk (Islamic bonds), bonds targeted at citizens, and others specifically for Egyptians residing abroad. He noted that the external debt of budget entities decreased by approximately $3bn last year. Speaking at the annual conference of the Information and Decision Support Center and Cairo University's Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Kouchouk said the government is working on three fiscal policy priorities to stimulate economic activity and reduce government debt. He added that efforts are also underway to expand the private sector's contribution to the Egyptian economy through ambitious tax and customs facilitation packages. 'We have begun implementing 20 measures in taxes and another 30 measures in customs on a path to incentivise investment,' he stated, clarifying that the goal is to 'simplify tax and customs procedures and reduce production costs in Egypt.' Kouchouk added, 'We expect very ambitious results from the path of trust, partnership, and support for the business community that will drive efforts to broaden the tax base.' He pointed out, 'We achieved the highest increase in tax revenues since 2005, at a rate of 38% during the past ten months, without imposing any new burdens.' He indicated that 'we have enormous scope to overcome tax challenges, many of which do not require legislative amendments,' affirming the aim to 'create sufficient fiscal space to increase spending on supporting economic competitiveness, human development, and debt reduction.' The Finance Minister noted that the private sector 'is moving quickly, recently accounting for about 60% of total investments during the first half of the current fiscal year, with an annual growth rate of 80%.' Mr Kouchouk confirmed that allocations for stimulus packages to support economic activities in the new budget for the upcoming fiscal year have been doubled. He explained that EGP 78bn has been earmarked as 'the largest exceptional support to encourage industrial, export, and tourism activities.'
