Egypt after coup - Suddenly there is electricity and petrol again

Google translation:

Refueling in Cairo has never been this comfortable: go to the gas pump, open the hood, hose mount, take pitch and wait. For a long time taxi driver Ahmed hasn't found so much pleasure in his work. Today, he could even choose the natural gas dispenser at his favorite gas station not far from Tahrir Square, smiling. And because no one is in the queue and honks, there is even time for a paint cleaning. Ahmed is waving a leather cloth and philosophizes excitedly about the "Second Revolution" and the "people's coup", as he calls the events of those days. He turns up the radio: "Oh you my beloved Egypt!" is blaring from the speakers.

A week ago, Ahmed had to stay at the gas station over night to secure a tiny ration of natural gas. Refuel one day, work the other: Such was the life for many Egyptians. Especially taxi or micro-bus drivers were hit hard by the energy crisis. Natural gas was so scarce that many of them had to give up her job.

Also, gasoline was in short supply. The traffic on the streets of Cairo came to a halt on a regular basis. Not because too many vehicles were on the road, but because on the bridges cars and buses would more frequently get stuck from lack of fuel. On other roads though one had suddenly free ride. In the middle of the metropolis of Cairo there were only half as many vehicles.

To most Egyptians it was clear who is to blame for this mess: President Mohammed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood. They were unable anyway to organize anything at all, says Ahmed. The short supply of energy initiated a power crisis. In some areas of Cairo and in many provinces, the electricity supply failed 12 hours straight - every day. And because there was no electricity and not enough transport, the supply of bread and food was also scarce. A hungry people who on top of it all did not agree with the political style of the Brotherhood revolted on June 30 and the days after in a very angry manner.

A possible explanation of the sudden oversupply can be enhanced investment flows, which have primarily been redirected to the stock market of Cairo by rich Egyptian businessmen in recent days. Since Mursi became president, they had boycotted the Egyptian economy. Now they pump billions of Egyptian pounds in securities, including in the energy sector. Since Wednesday, Egypt's benchmark EGX posted the highest profits in its history. The stock market in Cairo had to temporarily halt trading as high increases were experienced. Suddenly no more power outages

Ahmed did not even notice that since removal of the president, the current no longer fails. He shrugs his shoulders and has no real explanation for it. He lovingly continues to polish his "White Princess", as he calls his taxi.

In Egypt, the energy sector is state-owned. Private corporations can exist only with special permits in the electricity and fuel market. The prices are heavily subsidized and the International Monetary Fund for a year made pressure on the government of President Mursi to liberalize the market. Occassionally it even looked as if the government wanted to give in to this desire to get a billion euro loan, which should be half funded by the European Union.

In practice the Muslim-Brotherhood-dominated government and the oil ministry responsible for supply specifically were, however, helpless and did nothing about the issue. It felt like this at least for many Egyptians. The somewhat silly commercials that ran on national television and asked to save electricity and energy, were not seen as a measure to solving the problem. In those a computer-animated Rushdi uncle with a mustache stated how an energy saving light bulb works, how carpools can be arranged and he urged to set up air conditioners to 25 degrees. The taxi driver Ahmed felt ridiculed each and every evening. He possesses neither air conditioning nor does he have the money to afford an expensive energy-saving lamp. The Muslim Brothers are just too stupid for politics he says. Pro-Mursi protesters feel betrayed

At the entrance of the protest camp of the Muslim Brotherhood there is also a petrol station. The attendant here has lost all belief in humanity. Now, suddenly, when the Muslim Brothers are gone, the tank trucks carrying fuel supplies are queueing en masse. The many pro-Mursi protesters who fill here are indeed happy that they now easily get gasoline, however they refer to this development as clear proof of the conspiracy against their brotherhood. The economic elite positioned itself against their president from the very beginning and made common cause with the military, judiciary, police, opposition, the old cadres and the media. A protester with an "I want my president back" poster stuck to his windshield claims that tons of gasoline were dumped in the desert sand, only to get Mursi deposed.

In any case, such a sudden improvement in the supply situation remains remarkable and a little mystery here at the gas station not far from Tahrir Square: "It doesn't matter," Ahmed the taxi driver says, "The main thing is the brothers are gone and my tank is full".

www.zeit.de...

reply to post by DuneKnight


Wonder where the negotiations for the IMF loan are at with the regime change?

For the people of Egypt - I really hope it is a no-go - why became enslaved to the people that are desperately attempting to enslave the rest of the world?

reply to post by DuneKnight


Imagine that .. a religious cult with no experience with running a national economy is booted from power and market forces once again begin to do what markets excell at: aligning the forces of supply and demand.

I wounder how much money he has hiden away?
or can he realy be that stupid?

Well, It looks like things may be starting to stabilizing over there. I certainly hope so.

Did you translate it? If so: nice job and respect for the effort.

Btw. I am German so I read the original article

If every nation could avoid banksters and/or religious extremists in power, the world would be a much nicer place.
Not perfect, but so much better.

reply to post by pirhanna


Star for you! I couldn't agree with you more!

Or, of course- another scenario is that the Army has no idea how to control such things and is just letting the people have whatever they want, whenever they want without paying attention to what is actually available and whether or not the current supplies are sustainable.

Or, maybe the Army knows very well what it is doing and is just letting the people have whatever they want, whenever they want in order to keep them docile.

ya know, so no one will realize that oh hey...we're living under a dictatorship again.

reply to post by DuneKnight


Good post.

How bizarre that a fairly uneventful military coup could change things so drastically in the course of a week!

reply to post by DuneKnight


Thanks for this, It's great to see that our issues getting some worldwide attention

Very strange indeed

dont forget the monies and support being provided by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE....'

the Muslim Brotherhood + Salafists are being routed out...good riddence to the Obama puppets


related reading:www.atimes.com...

Don't you find it strange that the problems stopped suddenly after Morsi was ousted ?

During Morsi's time they said the demand for electricity exceeded the supply,and they had to have periodic blackouts to prevent overloading the grid. Now, poof, all the problems are gone.

Also it's hard to believe that a sudden severe shortage in fuel just before the previously planned June 30 protests was a coincidence (maybe military / opposition was deliberately cutting off supply to fuel (pun intended) the hatred for the president) ?

After all, only the very top-level of the government changed, the rest is still mostly old regime with their old loyalties.

The egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik has written a short article today July 9th on his FB page about the electricity issues:
Here is the link (arabic):
link

It should be public and no registration is necessary:

Here is an interesting part (google translated and fixed the really bad translations):

What I do know is that electricity momentarily cut off in our street the day before yesterday .. The workers of the company came to repair the defect, and when he asked people whether the policy of cutting off electricity will return, he said with a laugh: «it's over now.. We were cutting to make you revolt against Morsi! ». This is what literally and believe it or not. The problem is that Morsi believed that it they were cutting electricity to reduce loads. This is the crux of the problem .. The man did not know a lot .. He did not know anything at all.

reply to post by DuneKnight


Wow, how did I miss this event? Had the TV on Sunday evening, and not a word about this! Wow.....

Do you have a link on what happened, who is in control now, etc?

reply to post by DuneKnight


Wow, how did I miss this event? Had the TV on Sunday evening, and not a word about this! Wow.....

Do you have a link on what happened, who is in control now, etc?

here is a recent article from NYTimes about these puzzling circumstances: www.nytimes.com...

CAIRO — The streets seethe with protests and government ministers are on the run or in jail, but since the military ousted President Mohamed Morsi, life has somehow gotten better for many people across Egypt: Gas lines have disappeared, power cuts have stopped and the police have returned to the street.

The apparently miraculous end to the crippling energy shortages, and the re-emergence of the police, seems to show that the legions of personnel left in place after former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in 2011 played a significant role — intentionally or not — in undermining the overall quality of life under the Islamist administration of Mr. Morsi.

reply to post by DuneKnight


Morsi had signed on to a "loan" from the IMF that featured - among other things - the "austerity" measures - fuel ration cards, and such..... and the Morsi administration played down the restricted "usury" fees and "administration fees".----

Hopefully, the egyptian people will not become enslaved to the world bank, as every other nation that has fallen in the middle east has been -

This is the 10 year plan of the US administration - both dems and repubs - see the general talk about which countries that will be invaded - because they do not have a federal reserve, IMF bank in them......

Interesting article, he has been following this from the beginning and suggests that all is not what it seems, as is usually true:

"Sudden Improvements in Egypt Suggest a Campaign to Undermine Morsi"

willyloman.wordpress.com...

And, my understanding is that Morsi did NOT support or sign the IMF loan; that it is perhaps one of the bigger reasons for the coup. That now that he is out of the way, the IMF loan is now possible and in fact in the process of going forward.