Paper
Ibrahim Saif, Ahmed Ghoneim
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"Ibrahim Saif"
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"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
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"Arab Awakening"
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"primaryCenter": "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center",
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"regions": [
"North Africa",
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"topics": [
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Source: Getty
Strengthening Egypt's Economy
The Egyptian interim government must restore security, lay the groundwork for a new partnership with the private sector, and adopt a more transparent decision-making process to strengthen the country's economy.
By Ibrahim Saif
Published on Dec 13, 2011
What are the main steps Egypt must take to strengthen its economy?
In the short term, Egypt must restore security and send the right message to the private sector to encourage optimism. The interim government must lay the groundwork for a new partnership with the private sector that encourages investors to engage in providing new services and utilities under the supervision of the government.
The government must adopt a more participatory and transparent decision-making process, including making budget information and other related financial operations public. Moreover, it needs to ensure the availability of funds for small and medium enterprises by providing guarantees to commercial banks for a limited period of time. Lastly, the government must set clearly priorities to ease the transitional period and channel foreign grants and loans toward needed infrastructure and housing projects for the poor.
The government must adopt a more participatory and transparent decision-making process, including making budget information and other related financial operations public. Moreover, it needs to ensure the availability of funds for small and medium enterprises by providing guarantees to commercial banks for a limited period of time. Lastly, the government must set clearly priorities to ease the transitional period and channel foreign grants and loans toward needed infrastructure and housing projects for the poor.
About the Author
Ibrahim Saif
Former Senior Associate, Middle East Center
Saif is an economist specializing in the political economy of the Middle East. His research focuses on international trade and structural adjustment programs in developing countries, with emphasis on Jordan and the Middle East.
- The Private Sector in Postrevolution Egypt
- The Economic Agenda of the Islamist PartiesPaper
Ibrahim Saif, Muhammad Abu Rumman
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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