Egypt Finance Ministry Stresses Flexibility in Handling Global Economic Changes

In this file a man counts Egyptian pound banknotes at a currency exchange shop in downtown Cairo on November 3, 2016. (AFP)
In this file a man counts Egyptian pound banknotes at a currency exchange shop in downtown Cairo on November 3, 2016. (AFP)
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Egypt Finance Ministry Stresses Flexibility in Handling Global Economic Changes

In this file a man counts Egyptian pound banknotes at a currency exchange shop in downtown Cairo on November 3, 2016. (AFP)
In this file a man counts Egyptian pound banknotes at a currency exchange shop in downtown Cairo on November 3, 2016. (AFP)

Egypt’s Finance Minister Mohammed Maait stressed that his country was capable of handling with flexibility the rapid global economic changes that are directly impacting consumers and public policies.

He made his remarks on Saturday while presenting the performance indicators for 2021/2022, saying Egypt was one of the few countries that achieved a surplus of 1.3 percent last year compared to other emerging countries that achieved a preliminary deficit of 4.7 percent.

“This reflects our ability to flexibly adapt to global economic changes while maintaining a safe economic path,” he remarked.

The minister met with the British Ambassador to Cairo, Gareth Bailey.

Maait expressed Egypt’s interest in boosting the decades-long cooperation in manufacturing currency.

This will benefit Egypt’s future ambitions and bolster its ability to meet local and regional market demands.

For his part Bailey, said his country supports Egypt's development efforts in various fields so that it can meet the needs of its citizens and improve their living standards and services.

The ambassador expressed the desire to explore opportunities for cooperation in the field of coinage between the two countries' mints in a way that benefits their mutual interests and enhances their partnership.



Türkiye's Central Bank Holds Rate at 50%, Warns on Inflation

People rest in a public park outdoors away from buildings following an earthquake in Malatya, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Burhan Karaduman/Dia Photo via AP)
People rest in a public park outdoors away from buildings following an earthquake in Malatya, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Burhan Karaduman/Dia Photo via AP)
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Türkiye's Central Bank Holds Rate at 50%, Warns on Inflation

People rest in a public park outdoors away from buildings following an earthquake in Malatya, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Burhan Karaduman/Dia Photo via AP)
People rest in a public park outdoors away from buildings following an earthquake in Malatya, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Burhan Karaduman/Dia Photo via AP)

Türkiye's central bank held interest rates at 50% on Thursday as expected but cautioned that recent data had lifted inflation uncertainty, in a hawkish signal ahead of an expected easing cycle in coming months.
"In September, the underlying trend of inflation posted a slight increase," the bank's policy committee said, adding: "the uncertainty regarding the pace of improvement in inflation has increased in light of incoming data."
According to Reuters, analysts said the message could reinforce the view that the bank will wait until around January to ease monetary policy, after a more than year-long effort to slay years of soaring inflation.
The last time the bank raised its main policy rate was in March, when it hiked by 500 basis points to round off an aggressive tightening cycle that started in June last year.
Since then, it has kept the one-week repo rate on hold. In a change of messaging last month, it began setting the stage for a rate cut by dropping a reference to potential further tightening.
Yet after monthly inflation was higher than expected at nearly 3% in September, a Reuters poll showed analysts expected the bank to wait until December or January to begin its anticipated easing cycle.
Nicholas Farr, economist at Capital Economics, said the bank signaled that the "slow pace of disinflation will prevent monetary easing this year.”
"It seems clear that the (central bank) – like us – doesn't think the conditions are in place for a monetary easing cycle to start very soon."
Annual inflation has dropped to 49.4% - below the policy rate for the first time in this cycle - from a peak of 75% in May.
The central bank is closely watching the monthly rate for signals of when to begin easing, though it has only dipped below 2% once this year, in June. It is also watching for high household inflation expectations to ease toward its targets.