Egypt Hikes Domestic Fuel Prices

Cars are seen at a petrol station in downtown Cairo, Egypt June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Cars are seen at a petrol station in downtown Cairo, Egypt June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Egypt Hikes Domestic Fuel Prices

Cars are seen at a petrol station in downtown Cairo, Egypt June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Cars are seen at a petrol station in downtown Cairo, Egypt June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egypt introduced its latest round of fuel subsidy cuts on Friday, raising domestic prices by between 16 percent and 30 percent.

The price of widely used 92 octane grade petrol rose by 18.5 percent to 8 pounds ($0.4825) a liter, while lower quality 80 octane rose by 22.7 percent to 6.75 pounds ($0.4071) a liter, the petroleum ministry said in a statement.

Higher grade 95 octane fuel rose by 16.1 percent to 9 Egyptian pounds ($0.5428) a liter, and diesel rose by 22.7 percent to 6.75 pounds per liter. The price of cooking gas cylinders rose by 30 percent to 65 pounds for domestic use and 130 pounds for commercial use.

Scaling back fuel subsidies was a key plank of a three-year $12 billion economic reform package signed with the IMF in November 2016. Energy subsidies had eaten up as much as 20 percent of the government's budget in recent years.

The reforms also included a sharp devaluation of the Egyptian pound and led to rapid inflation that later cooled.



Vale Partners with China’s Jinnan Steel to Build Iron Ore Processing Plant in Oman

The logo of the Brucutu mine owned by Brazilian mining company Vale SA is seen in Sao Goncalo do Rio Abaixo, Brazil February 4, 2019. (Reuters)
The logo of the Brucutu mine owned by Brazilian mining company Vale SA is seen in Sao Goncalo do Rio Abaixo, Brazil February 4, 2019. (Reuters)
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Vale Partners with China’s Jinnan Steel to Build Iron Ore Processing Plant in Oman

The logo of the Brucutu mine owned by Brazilian mining company Vale SA is seen in Sao Goncalo do Rio Abaixo, Brazil February 4, 2019. (Reuters)
The logo of the Brucutu mine owned by Brazilian mining company Vale SA is seen in Sao Goncalo do Rio Abaixo, Brazil February 4, 2019. (Reuters)

Brazilian miner Vale, one of the world's largest iron ore producers, said on Monday it had partnered with China's Jinnan Steel Group to build an iron ore beneficiation plant in Oman to produce high quality pellet.

With the front-end investment exceeding $600 million, the plant, which will be located in Oman's Sohar port and free trade zone, will provide higher quality iron ore for producing pellet and hot briquetted iron (HBI) locally, reducing environmental impact, Vale said in a statement on its WeChat account.

The Sohar plant is scheduled to start commissioning in mid-2027, processing 18 million metric tons of iron ore annually to produce 12.6 million tons of high grade concentrate, it said.

"We are strengthening our capability to meet rising global demand for high grade iron ore and further expand our exposure in the Middle East region," said Gustavo Pimenta, chief executive officer (CEO) at Vale.

Vale will invest $227 million for the connection of the beneficiation plant and the pellet and HBI production facility while Jinnan Steel, a private steelmaker headquartered in north China's Shanxi province, will invest about $400 million for the building and the operation of the plant.

Vale did not disclose the equity share held by each party.