Egypt to Join the New Development Bank within Weeks

Negotiations between Egypt's delegation and the New Development Bank (NDB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Negotiations between Egypt's delegation and the New Development Bank (NDB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt to Join the New Development Bank within Weeks

Negotiations between Egypt's delegation and the New Development Bank (NDB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Negotiations between Egypt's delegation and the New Development Bank (NDB) (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt is moving forward with the procedures of officially joining the New Development Bank (NDB), which was established by the BRICS countries to enhance cooperation in infrastructure and sustainable development.

The Egyptian parliament is scheduled to officially discuss the final procedures for Cairo to join the Bank in the coming weeks.

BRICS is a prominent global economic bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Algeria recently announced its desire to join the coalition.

Egyptian Finance Minister Mohamed Maait affirmed his country's keenness to enhance cooperation with international development partners, especially in light of the unprecedented development movement in Cairo.

Maait hoped this would lay the foundations of comprehensive and sustainable development, provide investment and development opportunities, improve citizens' living standards, meet their development needs, and improve the quality of public services.

During his meeting with the NDB President, Marcos Troyjo, the minister added that Egypt looks forward to building a solid partnership with the Bank, which has enormous financing capabilities, international expertise, and advanced infrastructure to help Egypt meet its financing needs and maximize its efforts to develop infrastructure.

Maait explained in a press statement by the Ministry of Finance that the NDB is a new platform for Egypt to enhance cooperation with BRICS countries and other emerging and developing economies' infrastructure and sustainable development.

He pointed out that the New Development Bank's strategy is in line with Egypt's vision for sustainable development, asserting that Cairo looks forward to strengthening cooperation between the two sides to achieve green and sustainable economic growth.

For his part, Troyjo said that the New Development Bank is proud of establishing a solid relationship with Egypt, especially in light of the promising opportunities explored together during the UN Climate Summit (COP27).

NDB aspires to jointly advance on key sustainable development issues across emerging economies, including climate action, said Troyjo.

Russia established the BRICS on September 20, 2006, when the group's first ministerial meeting was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

During the BRICS summit in Brazil in 2014, the official agreed to establish a development bank and adopt a treaty to set up an emergency reserve for the group, which now owns a total of $200 billion.

BRICS established the Bank to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging market economies and developing countries.

The initial authorized capital of the Bank is $100 billion divided into 1 million shares having a par value of $100,000 each. It is open for subscription for UN members.

The New Development Bank has begun to expand its membership in 2021, accepting Bangladesh, the UAE, Uruguay, and Egypt.



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.