Luxor4u

Following direction that government officials cannot accept gifts valued above USD100, Ministry of Finance organizes first ever public auction of gifts.

Egypt will hold a public auction next week to sell off luxury gifts received by government officials in the first auction of its kind, the Ministry of Finance stated on Thursday.

Proceeds from the auction will go to the public coffers, the statement added.

Newly appointed Minister of Finance Fayad Abdel-Moneim said 42 gifts have been received since July 2012. According to a decision issued by Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, Egyptian officials cannot keep any gift valued above USD100.

Qandil, along with Grand Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb (head of Egypt's leading Islamic authority, Al-Azhar), are among those senior officials who have received gifts.

According to the statement, the gifts in question include luxury watches, a solid silver sword, silk rugs, garnished vases and a model sailing boat.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/73950.aspx

WOW, a little bit of common sense at last. The money should go towards the revolutions victims family's or some other worthy cause. : : : :

I wonder how much money they'll get for the F-16s they just got from the USA? Kinda believe they were a GIFT.