AR 
EN 
The Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation has launched negotiations with the European Union for the second phase of the Macro-Financial Assistance mechanism.
This phase aims to provide €4 billion in budget support and €1.8 billion in investment guarantees, according to Minister Rania Al-Mashat during a meeting with the National Press Authority attended by leading journalists and editors.
Minister Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt’s achievements in implementing 86 structural reforms last year, which played a pivotal role in stabilizing the economy and improving the business environment.
These efforts have attracted financial support from key development partners, including the European Union and the World Bank.
Al-Mashat reported a 3.5 percent GDP growth during the first quarter of the current fiscal year. The non-petroleum manufacturing sector demonstrated strong momentum, achieving a 7.1 percent growth rate—the highest since the third quarter of 2021/2022.
Private investments also surged by 30.1 percent, reaching LE 133 billion and constituting 63.5 percent of total investments. Meanwhile, public investments fell significantly, declining by 60.5 percent to LE 99.7 billion compared to LE 180.4 billion in the same period last year.
She further outlined the 2023/2024 economic and social development plan, which recorded total investments of LE 1.62 trillion, with a 98.5 percent execution rate and a 5.8 percent growth rate.
Private sector investments rose by 5.3 percent to LE 700.4 billion, achieving an execution rate of 116 percent, while public investments amounted to LE 925.9 billion with an 88 percent execution rate.
Al-Mashat emphasized the government’s target to boost private sector contributions to 50 percent of total investments by the end of the fiscal year.
The Minister also highlighted the growing role of the private sector, noting that international financing for private investments exceeded government financing in 2024, amounting to $4.2 billion.
Between 2020 and 2024, the private sector secured $14.5 billion in funding, which supported various sectors, including startups, technology, manufacturing, healthcare, green transformation, and logistics services.
