Government postpones decision on cutting gas prices for factories: The cabinet is postponing a decision to cut natural gas prices to factories, government sources told Amwal Al Ghad. The request to cut gas prices came from the Industry Ministry, which said that the decision would provide incentives to manufacturers while boosting the competitiveness of Egyptian exports. Industry has been pushing for years for lower gas prices following major gas discoveries that have since helped the country become self-sufficient. The rest of us wonder why the government would ever agree to effectively bring back subsidies this far along in a reform program focused, in no small part, on cutting subsidies.