by iSpit

The lavish headquarters of Egypt’s Ministry of Military Production is a far cry from the rundown buildings that surround it in central Cairo. From the golden handrails of the sweeping central staircase to the ministry’s fancy custom-made drink coasters—the place is awash with cash.
Minister Sayed Meshal, a former general, is eager to tell me that the ministry can afford its gaudy accoutrements—after all, it turns a tidy profit. He says the ministry’s revenues from the private sector are about 2 billion Egyptian pounds a year ($345 million). It employs 40,000 civilians, who assemble water-treatment stations for the Ministry of Housing, cables for the Ministry of Electricity, laptops for the Ministry of Education, and armaments for the Ministry of Interior’s vehicles. Meanwhile, other ministry employees produce washing machines, refrigerators, televisions, and metal sheeting for construction projects.
While we’re discussing metal sheeting, Meshal adamantly denies that the government subsidizes any of his products. But in the case of these sheets, the ministry has a monopoly; it is the only place in Egypt producing the alloy in this size. “You’re a clever lady,” exclaims Meshal with a smile and shake of his head when I point this out to him. He chuckles that I’m getting the best of him.
(more…)