Egypt to showcase SDG financing model at Seville Conference: Al-Mashat to ET
CAIRO - 19 June 2025: 'There is now a global call to close the SDG financing gap through concessional tools directed at the private sector. What we're doing in Egypt, and what we will showcase this Sunday in Seville at the Finance for Development conference, is a concrete example of how a country can effectively mobilize such finance,' Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat told Egypt Today.
Al-Mashat's remarks during the global launch of the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025, held in Cairo.
The minister said that the $15.6 billion in concessional development finance directed to Egypt's private sector since 2020 has been actively deployed across a wide range of ongoing projects in key industries.
Responding to Egypt Today's question on how these financial flows align with UNCTAD's recommendations for emerging markets, Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of understanding that these are not just commitments, but funds already in action.
'We have issued a report that details exactly where the funds have gone—including credit lines through local banks, renewable energy projects, food processing companies, and SMEs,' she said.
She also noted that the UNCTAD Secretary-General's comments in the report underscored the critical role of financing in helping countries attract investment and meet development goals.
The Minister also highlighted the recent announcement of a €1.8 billion investment guarantee mechanism with the European Union, describing it as a practical instrument that supports the UNCTAD report's recommendations and broader international calls to scale up development finance for the private sector.
Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib, also speaking to Egypt Today, emphasized the government's ongoing efforts to enhance Egypt's attractiveness to foreign investors.
'Our focus as economic ministers is to create a competitive, investment-friendly environment that encourages FDI,' El-Khatib said. 'This means accelerating policy reform and improving the ease of doing business.'
He pointed to tangible progress in Egypt's digital transformation efforts. 'We've launched a digital platform that offers 89 investment-related services electronically, including company registration and access to finance. We've also signed a protocol with GAFI and other entities to launch a unified investment platform that will digitize procedures for establishing companies, issuing permits, and paying fees.'
According to El-Khatib, the platform is designed to streamline regulatory procedures across more than 235 economic activities, significantly reducing bureaucratic steps. 'In one pilot case, we reduced the number of steps in the investment process from 33 to a much smaller number. We are now scaling that across additional sectors,' he said.
Both ministers reaffirmed Egypt's strategic aim of positioning itself as a reliable and competitive destination for foreign direct investment, supported by robust development partnerships and a growing pipeline of investable opportunities.
'Whatever happens in the global landscape, our aim is for Egypt to stand out as a ready and attractive destination for sustainable, private-sector-led investment,' El-Khatib concluded.
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