A small-scale cabinet reshuffle is predicted in Egypt “in the coming few days,” according to the Al Ahram daily.
The semi-official Cairo-based paper said that four or five new ministers would replace the incumbents.
Al Ahram said that the reshuffle would include the ministries of industry, environment, planning and electricity, while the economy portfolio would be renamed “foreign trade,” to be handled by the current Economy Minister Yousef Botrous Ghali.
Mubarak had denied as “rumors” of an impending cabinet reshuffle, but disclosed that he was considering eliminating the ministry of economy.
Mubarak told reporters aboard the presidential plane taking him on a brief visit to Kuwait on Nov. 11 that “The foreign trade ministry will take over the duties of the [eliminated] ministry of economy.”
The reshuffle was expected as President Mubarak had pledged to carry out political and economic reforms against the backdrop of a recession that has hit the country recently.
Mubarak was quoted by the Middle East News Agency (MENA) as saying that among the new measures under consideration was fostering role of the central bank by placing it under the direct control of the cabinet, as well as increasing support for domestic and overseas investments – Albawaba.com
