Egypt Predicts 5.6% Economic Growth

A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt January 28, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt January 28, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Egypt Predicts 5.6% Economic Growth

A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt January 28, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt January 28, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egyptian Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala Al-Saeed said that the country was expected to have an economic growth of 5.6% in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

“Egypt has firmly faced the Covid-19 crisis thanks to the reforms implemented since 2016,” the ministry’s Facebook page quoted the minister as saying during an event on Tuesday.

She continued: “Despite the economic repercussions of the pandemic, economic growth is expected to rebound strongly to 5.6% in the fiscal year 2021-2022,” which concludes at the end of June 2022.

Saeed noted that Egypt ranked second among the most attractive Arab destinations for foreign direct investment in 2020 and was the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Africa the same year, with inflows into the country representing 15% of the total USD39.8 billion coming to the continent.

The Egyptian government has invested in infrastructure in recent years, the minister remarked, explaining that the government’s participation was necessary to stimulate growth and pave the way for the engagement of the private sector.

Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat said, for her part, that the Board of Executive Directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank approved a financing of USD360 million for Egypt.

The minister added that the funding aimed to support the state’s efforts to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and to strengthen the economic and structural reform program.

This comes as Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Tuesday that his country intended to list five to six state-owned companies on the stock exchange before the end of the current fiscal year.

He added that the move was intended to stimulate trading in the Egyptian Stock Exchange, which recorded the worst performance this year among emerging markets.



China Mulls Draft Law to Promote Private Sector Development

A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
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China Mulls Draft Law to Promote Private Sector Development

A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)

Chinese lawmakers are deliberating a draft of the country's first basic law specifically focused on the development of the private sector, the country’s Xinhua news agency reported.

“The law will be conducive to creating a law-based environment that is favorable to the growth of all economic sectors, including the private sector,” said Justice Minister He Rong, while explaining the draft on Saturday during the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the national legislature.

The draft private sector promotion law covers areas such as fair competition, investment and financing environments, scientific and technological innovation, regulatory guidance, service support, rights and interests protection and legal liabilities.

The draft has incorporated suggestions solicited from representatives of the private sector, experts, scholars and the general public, the minister said.

China left its benchmark lending rates unchanged as expected at the monthly fixing on Friday.

Persistent deflationary pressure and tepid credit demand call for more stimulus to aid the broad economy, but narrowing interest margin on the back of fast falling yields and a weakening yuan limit the scope for immediate monetary easing.

The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.10%, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 3.60%.

In a Reuters poll of 27 market participants conducted this week, all respondents expected both rates to stay unchanged.

Morgan Stanley said in a note that the 2025 budget deficit and mix are more positive than expected and suggest Beijing is willing to set a high growth target and record fiscal budget to boost market confidence, but further policy details are unlikely before March.

Last Friday, data released by the country's central bank said total assets of China's financial institutions had risen to 489.15 trillion yuan (about $68.03 trillion) by the end of third quarter this year.

The figure represented a year-on-year increase of 8%, said the People's Bank of China.

Of the total, the assets of the banking sector reached 439.52 trillion yuan, up 7.3% year on year, while the assets of securities institutions rose 8.7% year on year to 14.64 trillion yuan.

The insurance sector's assets jumped 18.3% year on year to 35 trillion yuan, the data showed.

The liabilities of the financial institutions totaled 446.51 trillion yuan, up 8% year on year, according to the central bank.

Separately, data released by the National Energy Administration on Thursday showed that China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, rose by 7.1% year on year in the first 11months of the year.

During the period, power consumption of the country's primary industries increased by 6.8% year on year, while that of its secondary and tertiary sectors rose by 5.3% and 10.4%, respectively.

Residential power usage saw strong growth of 11.6% during this period, the administration said.

In November alone, power usage climbed 2.8% from one year earlier, according to the data.