Egypt Daily News – After his acquittal of all charges, Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali, former Minister of Finance during the late President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak’s era, has returned to the Egyptian economic scene. A presidential decree was issued yesterday to reconstitute the specialized council for economic development, affiliated with the presidency, to include Boutros Ghali as a member.
Youssef Boutros Ghali was one of the most important ministers during the era of the late President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak. He faced numerous accusations and was sentenced to prison following the January 25, 2011 revolution, before being acquitted by Egyptian courts of all charges.
In July 2023, the North Cairo Criminal Court acquitted Youssef Boutros Ghali in the case known in the media as “Customs Corruption,” in which he faced charges of profiteering and abuse of power.
Before that, in November 2022, the Criminal Court acquitted Youssef Boutros Ghali in the “license plates” case, which lasted for 11 years. It began with his conviction and a 10-year prison sentence before the appeal was accepted and his trial was retried.
Following his acquittal, Youssef Boutros Ghali confirmed that he would return to Egypt as soon as possible, which seems to have indeed come to pass. Not only will he return to Egypt, but he will also be active once again in the economic scene by being a member of the Specialized Council for Economic Development.
The council is responsible for studying and proposing the general economic and productive policies of the country across all sectors, which includes strengthening and developing productive capacity and the efficient use of available resources through scientific and technological methods.
It also involves studying and proposing scientific plans aimed at increasing production, maximizing the national economy, and providing and developing production requirements in collaboration with the private sector.
It also involves studying the labor situation and proposing plans and general programs for the effective use of human resources and enhancing their productivity.
Additionally, it examines ways to eliminate any obstacles affecting the economic growth process and suggests the necessary organizational and technological changes to establish a strong economic base. Furthermore, it is responsible for providing studies on foreign markets and the potential for expanding the export of Egyptian products to them.
Youssef Raouf Youssef Boutros Ghali was one of the most prominent minds and faces in the governments of the late President Hosni Mubarak.
Ghali obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics from Cairo University. In 1981, he obtained a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He worked as an assistant professor of economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, and as the director of the Economic Analysis Center at the Cabinet from 1991 to 1993, and he was a member of the board of directors of the National Bank of Egypt.
From April 1993 to December 1995, he served as Minister of State for International Cooperation and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs. Before being appointed Minister of State for Economic Affairs, from January 1996 to June 1997, he then moved to the Ministry of Economy until September 1999, where he also took on the portfolio of Foreign Trade and continued in that role until 2004.
After that, he took on his most famous position as Minister of Finance from July 2004 until the revolution overthrew Mubarak’s regime.
