Mohamed Maait

#Egypt mulls around $7 billion international bond issuance

Egypt will approach investment banks soon to advise on a planned international bond issuance to raise between $3 billion and $7 billion by June 2020. The new offering could include Egypt’s first Panda, Samurai, Sukuk and green bonds as well as euro- and dollar-denominated bonds. Khaled Abd Elrahman, the Egyptian Deputy Minister of Finance, said that the so-called request for proposal is being prepared and will be sent to banks imminently. Egypt was able to return to global bond markets in 2017, lowering its borrowing costs overseas as domestic rates soared amid a far-reaching economic reform programme. The government is now seeking to vary its instruments and gradually move toward longer-term credit to reduce the burden of debt. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said that foreign holdings in Egypt’s Treasury bills and bonds currently stand at about $20 billion.

Will Islamic bonds help revive #Egypt's economy?

The Egyptian government plans to issue dollar-dominated and euro-dominated sukuk over the next fiscal year. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait made the announcement, expecting that the issuance of the Sharia-compliant bonds would attract huge demand. He added that the government would introduce amendments to the existing laws to enable the issuance. On April 11, the government approved a draft law to establish a sovereign fund aimed at making the best use of state assets with a capital of 5 billion Egyptian pounds (about $279 million). The Egypt Fund will benefit several infrastructure projects, create more job opportunities and reduce the budget deficit. The Egyptian government is also planning to float shares in state-owned companies to draw more local and foreign investors to the stock market.

New #Egypt Finance Chief Looks to #Sukuk for Funds

Egypt is considering tapping the international sukuk market in the coming fiscal year, as it looks to diversify funding sources. The issuance would mark a revival of a plan shelved since 2013 when the government issued the law to pave the way for the country’s first Islamic bond. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said that the ministry has yet to discuss how much it wants to raise from conventional bond sales in the coming fiscal year. The focus is shifting toward long term borrowing. The government is also planning on launching the first offerings of stakes in public sector companies in July or August. The initial stakes are expected to raise between 15 billion and 18 billion pounds.

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