Egypt's bid to increase the appeal international investors by carving out cluster-zoned industrial developments is mapped out in a wide-ranging report just published by Oxford Business Group (OBG).
The Report: Egypt 2010 explores how the government plans to balance spending, aimed at tackling the effects of the global downturn, with reducing its budget deficit. It also provides comprehensive coverage of the steps Egypt has taken along the path of economic reform, analysing the results of initiatives such as the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) and the liberalisation of foreign trade.
The global publishing, research and consultancy firm's report includes a detailed, sector-by-sector guide for investors, together with a wide range of interviews with the most prominent political, economic and business leaders, including Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros-Ghali and Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieldin.
High profile international personalities, such as Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, President of the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation Gerald L Hassell and Chairman of the UK Atomic Energy Authority Lady Barbara Judge also give their views on Egypt's economic development.
The Report: Egypt 2010 is produced in partnership with AmCham Egypt, CI Capital, Helmy, Hamza & Partners/Baker & McKenzie and Deloitte – Saleh, Barsoum & Abdel Aziz. The publication charts the resulting effect on the country's financial services sector following the setting up of the Egyptian Financial Services Authority. It provides an insight into the extensive overhaul which the main stock index and exchange have undergone and considers the promising prospects for new listings and IPOs during the coming year after a quiet 2009.
With the government's ambitious plans to boost growth by driving up investment, OBG's new report includes comprehensive coverage of the ambitious expansion plans earmarked for Egypt's industrial sector. It looks in detail at the government's strategy to push sector-specific cluster zones and analyses its plans to boost production and exports in petrochemicals.
As gas production moves centre stage in Egypt's hydrocarbons industry, OBG's new publication outlines the significant developments taking place in the in the energy sector. The Report: Egypt 2010 considers the move to redirect profitable hydrocarbons to export markets, while also highlighting the opportunities set to emerge in renewable energies as the government explores initiatives such as solar thermal plants and wind farms.
With the country in the midst of a construction boom, The Report: Egypt 2010 puts the real estate sector under the microscope in a wide-ranging round table featuring the views of three high-profile players from the industry.
Samih Sawiris, Chairman and CEO of Orascom Development, Maher Maksoud, CEO and Managing Director of Sixth of October Development and Investment and Yasseen Mansour, Chairman and CEO of Palm Hills Developments air their opinions on a range of topical issues. Subjects on the table include the impact of high interest rates on mortgage lending, the challenges of bringing the private sector into the affordable housing market and future trends in property investment.
The Report: Egypt 2010 has been produced in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). Contributions have also been made by Deloitte as OBG's accountancy partner, Baker and McKenzie as its legal partner and CI Capital as partner for capital markets.
Robert Tashima, OBG's Regional Editor, said that Egypt had shown considerable resilience to the challenges of the global downturn by continuing to attract investment and increasing non-oil exports.
"The government's ongoing strategy of fostering free trade agreements is facilitating exports, while reforms such as reducing corporate income taxes and increasing banking supervision are attracting investors," he said. "This multi-pronged approach bodes well for Egypt's bid to boost growth and is explored in detail in our new report on the country's economic activity and investment opportunities."
Tashima also paid tribute to OBG's partners, saying that their contribution had undoubtedly brought an added dimension to The Report: Egypt 2010. "Oxford Business Group values the high level of expertise and local knowledge which our partners have in their field," he said. "As Egypt continues along the road of economic reform and industrial development, I am confident that these exciting developments have been captured in our new report thanks to the valuable input from our partners. By providing us with accurate and comprehensive data, they have enabled us to produce an unrivalled report which members of the international business community will find invaluable when they are making their investment decisions."
The Report: Egypt 2010 marks the culmination of more than six months of field research by a team of analysts from OBG, assessing trends and developments in all major sectors of the economy, including energy, industry, finance, banking, tourism, transport and real estate. It will be available in print form and online.
