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Egypt Central Bank Holds Rates Steady After Change of Governor

FILE PHOTO: Central Bank of Egypt's headquarters is seen in downtown Cairo, Egypt February 25, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyREUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Central Bank of Egypt's headquarters is seen in downtown Cairo, Egypt February 25, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyREUTERS
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Egypt Central Bank Holds Rates Steady After Change of Governor

FILE PHOTO: Central Bank of Egypt's headquarters is seen in downtown Cairo, Egypt February 25, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyREUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Central Bank of Egypt's headquarters is seen in downtown Cairo, Egypt February 25, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyREUTERS

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) kept its overnight interest rates steady on Thursday, hours after a new governor was named to replace Tarek Amer, who quit on Wednesday.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi appointed Hassan Abdalla as caretaker CBE governor on Thursday after Amer's resignation.

Analysts said the CBE may have been conservative after the change of governor, even as Egypt's economy grew faster than expected in the 2021/22 fiscal year and inflation surged.

The CBE's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said it left its lending rate unchanged at 12.25% and its deposit rate at 11.25%, Reuters reported.

"The MPC decided that keeping policy rates unchanged remains consistent with achieving price stability over the medium term," it said in a statement accompanying the rates decision.

A Reuters poll of 15 analysts taken prior to Amer's resignation had expected a half a percentage point increase.

"In its decision to maintain policy rates unchanged today, the MPC takes note of its policy rate hikes in its previous meetings," the MPC added.

The central bank raised rates by 2 percentage points in May and 1 percentage point in March to combat inflation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and US interest rate hikes.

"The committee likely wants to proceed cautiously during the transition period," said Sara Saada of CI Capital.

Egypt's gross domestic product grew by 6.2% in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, up from 3.3% a year earlier.

This was mainly driven by the private sector, particularly non-petroleum manufacturing, tourism, and trade, the MPC said, citing data from the first nine months of the fiscal year.

Inflation rose to 13.6% in July from 13.2% in June, its fastest since in March 2019.

At its last meeting on June 23, the MPC said that for the next six months it would tolerate elevated inflation, caused mainly by the Ukraine crisis, as the economy grows more slowly than expected.

"We expect no changes in the policy rates until the new CBE leadership settles in and takes stock of the situation," said Allen Sandeep of Naeem Brokerage.

Esraa Ahmed of Pharos said she believed the MPC left rates unchanged for fundamental reasons, including a gradual decrease in global commodity prices and less pressure on the budget.

"We had that view even before the change in governor," she said.

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Egypt, IMF Hold New Discussions to Alleviate Citizens’ Financial Burdens

Sisi and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. (Reuters file photo)
Sisi and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. (Reuters file photo)
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Egypt, IMF Hold New Discussions to Alleviate Citizens’ Financial Burdens

Sisi and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. (Reuters file photo)
Sisi and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. (Reuters file photo)

Egypt and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed to review their joint credit facilitation program to ensure that no additional burdens are placed on citizens.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reiterated the government’s commitment to “maintaining a flexible exchange rate in coordination with the central bank to safeguard the progress achieved in this area.” He expressed hope that the meetings with the IMF delegation in the coming days would “conclude the fourth review of the economic reform program.”

Following a meeting on Sunday between President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Cairo, the Egyptian Presidency announced that Georgieva expressed her “full understanding of the significant challenges Egypt faces amid regional and global developments.”

In March, Egypt signed an $8 billion extended financial support package with the IMF, which requires reducing subsidies on fuel, electricity, and essential goods and allowing the Egyptian pound to float.

In late October, Sisi warned that his government might need to reassess its program with the IMF if international institutions do not account for the extraordinary regional challenges the country is facing. He cited a nearly 60% drop in Suez Canal revenue due to security tensions in the Red Sea as an example.

During the meeting with Georgieva, Sisi expressed Egypt’s commitment to continuing its cooperation with the IMF, building on progress to boost economic stability and reduce inflation. However, he stressed the need to acknowledge recent challenges Egypt has faced due to regional and international crises, which have impacted foreign currency reserves and budget revenues.

Sisi reiterated that the government’s primary focus is on alleviating pressures on citizens, particularly by controlling inflation and curbing rising prices, while also continuing efforts to attract investments and empower the private sector to drive employment and growth.

Georgieva, in turn, commended Egypt’s recent efforts and the reform program being “carefully implemented with a focus on the most vulnerable.” She highlighted the progress in macroeconomic indicators despite unprecedented current challenges, noting that this has been reflected in positive assessments from international credit rating agencies, improved credit ratings, and increased investments.

She expressed her “full understanding of the significant challenges Egypt faces amid regional and global developments” and emphasized the IMF’s commitment to working with the Egyptian government to identify optimal reform paths.