Category: Technology

Reforming the subsidized fuel system is a great success achieved in the energy sector, Petroleum Minister Tarek al-Mulla said Thursday.

 

“The state’s wealth was under the pressure of subsidies. Thus several problems took place,” he told Sada El Balad TV.

 

Among these problems was the selling of a product at a price under its actual cost, which did not yield any surplus, as well as the overconsumption, the minister pointed out.

 

The reform of subsidies achieved positive results, including the achievement of surplus that reached billions of pounds, he said. “The state spent 128 billion pounds in subsidies in 2016, but the bill costs 18 billion pounds now,” he pointed out.

 

On the fuel prices, the minister said that the prices are revised every three months in line with the market mechanisms.

 

He added that a limit of 10 percent was set for the increase in the fuel prices, noting that the fuel prices will be raised if the global price goes up.

 

The prices of gas for the industry sector decreased last year, and an increase was approved in November in line with the global prices, he said.

 

Coordination was made with the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) and the parliament’s industry committee on the prices of gas, he said.

 

Source: State Information Service Egypt

Egypt and Finland inked on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding in the field of education and technical education.

The memo was inked by Egyptian Education Minister Tarek Shawqi and Finnish Education Minister Li Sigrid Andersson.

In a statement, the Ministry of Education said Shawqi reviewed with his Finnish counterpart points of view on the reforms witnessed in the education sectors in Egypt and Finland.

 

Shawqi apprised Andersson of the latest developments on developing the curricula and the school qualification and assessment in addition to the steps of developing the technical education system in Egypt.

Shawqi lauded the education in Finland, terming it as flexible and independent.

For her part, Andersson reviewed the reforms applied recently to the education system in her country including raising compulsory education age.

Andersson lauded the measures taken by Egypt to reform the educational system.

 

Source: State Information Service Egypt

The United States has decided to almost double the duties on Canadian softwood lumber from most producers to 17.9%, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng said on Wednesday, adding that Canada is “extremely disappointed.”

The current rate for most companies is about 9%.

Ng said that the U.S. Department of Commerce on Wednesday issued the final results of the second administrative reviews of its anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders regarding certain softwood lumber products from Canada.

“Canada is extremely disappointed that the United States has decided to increase the unfair duties it is imposing on Canadian softwood lumber from most producers to 17.9%,” Ng said in a statement. “Canada calls on the United States to cease imposing these unwarranted duties on Canadian softwood lumber products.”

The U.S. Commerce Department and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday night. Earlier this year, Washington announced plans to double the duties on imports of Canadian lumber and requested a dispute panel on Canada’s dairy import quotas.

Canada’s softwood lumber industry is a key component of the country’s forestry sector, which contributed more than $25 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2020 and employed nearly 185,000 workers. The British Columbia Lumber Trade Council also expressed disappointment.

Ng said that “following completion of any legal challenges under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement’s (CUSMA) Chapter 10 or in U.S. courts, these new anti-dumping and countervailing duty rates will apply retroactively to softwood lumber exports to the United States from companies that were subject to the second administrative reviews.”

“These unjustified duties harm Canadian communities, businesses, and workers,” she said, adding: “They are also a tax on U.S. consumers.”

Source: Voice Of America

The CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency (ESA) Mohammed al Qousi announced that Egypt will launch EgyptSat 2 satellite in the first quarter of 2023 at a grant by the Chinese government.

 

Qousi told MENA on Saturday 20/11/2021 that EgyptSat 2 is a joint project by the Egyptian agency and its counterpart in China.

 

The project is the outcome of bilateral cooperation between Egypt and China in the space domain, he pointed out.

 

EgyptSat 2 satellite weighs 350 kilograms and helps implement more development plans in the country, he added.

 

Source: State Information Service Egypt

Minister of International Cooperation Rania el Mashat said the Egyptian government has already taken several climate-related measures through a national plan to address climate change by 2050.

 

She pointed out to the sustainable energy plan that aims to increase renewable energy generation to 42 percent by 2035, and about 60 percent by 2040.

 

The minister made the remarks during her participation in a session held as part of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum that is currently held in Singapore under the title “Post-COP26: Turning Net Zero Commitments into Action”, in the presence of Denmark Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jørgensen, the Ministry of International Cooperation said in a statement Friday.

 

Mashat noted that since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and its accompanying global awareness of its danger, the world has accelerated its pace to promote climate action.

 

Governments have also become aware of the importance of this matter, she added.

 

Meanwhile, the minister said the private sector has started to take more effective steps towards implementing green transformation plans.

 

She added that international financial institutions have also started to put in place clear procedures and moves for green finance.

 

Source: State Information Service Egypt

Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Engineer Tareq el Mulla reiterated the commitment of the Egyptian State under President Abdel Fattah El Sisi towards the achievement of further political and economic stability, according to a statement by the ministry on Thursday.

 

“This is the password to overcome challenges Egypt was facing between 2011 and 2013 and to realize several successes for the Egyptian economy in general and the energy sector in particular,” added Mulla at a symposium at Expo 2020 Dubai exhibition.

 

Egypt’s successful products in this important event reflect development in Egypt toward the establishment of the new republic, he said.

 

Mulla said a high visitor turnout has been recorded at the Egyptian pavilion, which, he added reflects its great importance and distinction among all pavilions participating in the exhibition.

 

Source: State Information Service Egypt

Transport Minister Kamel el Wazir inspected the Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles (MCV) company within the framework of the political leadership’s plans to expand eco-friendly public transportation.

 

The state is also seeking to purchase electric buses alongside buses operating by natural gas to operate in the New Administrative Capital and a number of cities, like Sharm el Sheikh and New Alamein.

 

He added that the ministry is keen on offering high-level services at the New Administrative Capital.

 

He inspected a number e-buses which were manufactured to be exported.

 

Wazir said the ministry will promote the fleet of the Arab Union Land Transport (Superjet) with e-buses in addition to 20 natural gas-run buses.

 

Source: State Information Service Egypt

The cabinet media center denied some reports circulated about reducing the number of classes at the Advanced Technical School for Nuclear Energy Technology in the northern Dabaa city to one class per week due to a shortage in the number of teachers there.

 

The media center said in a statement Friday that it has contacted the Ministry of Education which dismissed such reports, stressing that the educational process is going on regularly at the school as per the time plan for the 2021/2022 academic year.

 

The center urged media outlets and social media users to verify the authenticity of any news before publishing baseless information that may create confusion among students and parents.

 

Source: State Information Service Egypt