Egypt’s Economy Tackles Inflation and Exchange Rate Issues through Monetary Policy Adjustments and Investment Decisions

Egypt’s economy is facing a range of challenges, including inflation, exchange rate problems, and foreign exchange shortages. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued an expert report on Egypt’s efforts to address these issues, which came four weeks after the IMF approved an $8 billion financial support program for Egypt.

The report highlighted several areas for improvement in Egypt’s economy. One major issue was the central bank’s lending practices to public bodies outside of the Ministry of Finance. This practice contributed to inflationary pressures and led to economic instability. To address this issue, Egypt has taken steps to tighten monetary policy and implement a flexible exchange rate system, raising gasoline and fuel prices since December 2022.

However, the report also noted that a return to a fixed exchange rate in February 2023 had negative consequences for the economy. This move was seen as a step backwards in Egypt’s efforts to stabilize its economy and prevent further lending from the central bank to government bodies.

The central bank’s lending practices were also scrutinized by the report, with significant lending going towards government bodies outside of the Ministry of Finance leading to inflationary pressures. The Egyptian government has committed to limiting government overdrafts and preventing further lending from the central bank to government bodies in order to address these issues.

In addition to addressing monetary policy adjustments and lending practices, Egypt is also working on investment decisions that will contribute positively to its economy. The recent investment deal with the UAE was highlighted as a positive development by the IMF board meeting in March 2024, although it remains unclear how this deal will impact Egypt’s long-term economic growth prospects.

Overall, while there are still challenges facing Egypt’s economy, it is encouraging that the country is taking steps to address them through monetary policy adjustments and other measures aimed at stabilizing its financial system and promoting sustainable growth.