World Bank’s IFC to Help Egypt Monetize State Assets

Vehicles drive on a road next to the construction site of the Iconic Tower skyscraper in the Central Business District (CBD), which is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC) in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Vehicles drive on a road next to the construction site of the Iconic Tower skyscraper in the Central Business District (CBD), which is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC) in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
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World Bank’s IFC to Help Egypt Monetize State Assets

Vehicles drive on a road next to the construction site of the Iconic Tower skyscraper in the Central Business District (CBD), which is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC) in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Vehicles drive on a road next to the construction site of the Iconic Tower skyscraper in the Central Business District (CBD), which is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC) in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) said on Sunday it would act as the strategic advisor for Egypt's plans to boost the role of the private sector in the economy.

The IFC said it would advise on the government's "asset monetization program, which will focus on harnessing private capital and know-how to manage state-owned assets".

That will include structuring and preparing assets for sale, the IFC said in a statement.

Last year Egypt's government announced a state ownership policy designed to identify areas of the economy in which the private sector can play a bigger role.

Egypt has been struggling to manage an acute foreign currency shortage, attract new investment and contain a rising debt burden.

"We will have a five-year partnership with the World Bank's IFC to guarantee the governorship of the program in the long term," Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said on Sunday in a televized conference with IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop.



Maersk Continues Beirut Port Calls Despite Business Disruption

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP)
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Maersk Continues Beirut Port Calls Despite Business Disruption

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP)

Container shipping company Maersk said on Wednesday it continued to serve its customers in Lebanon with two weekly callings in Beirut despite the deteriorating security situation in the country.

"While Maersk's business in the country is impacted, we currently remain in a position to serve our customers," a Maersk spokesperson said in an email.

The company said all staff in both Lebanon and Israel were safe and accounted for.

Maersk's office in Lebanon is located in Beirut and employs 21 people.