{"id":17338,"date":"2025-09-12T04:59:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T04:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/17338\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T04:59:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T04:59:15","slug":"egypts-prime-minister-says-worst-has-passed-on-external-debt-as-inflation-hits-three-year-low","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/17338\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt\u2019s Prime Minister says worst has passed on external debt as inflation hits three-year low"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-0-2MZOUAR6JNDRZEX2DG7ZY4UAGY\">Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reassured the public that \u201cthe worst has passed\u201d with regard to the country\u2019s record high <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/business\/economy\/2025\/06\/05\/arab-economies-debt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/business\/economy\/2025\/06\/05\/arab-economies-debt\/\">external debts<\/a>, while record inflation figures have also started to ease. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-1-WK4U4PYRDJA5HA3UKQWQO6A6UM\">Consumer prices fell last month, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/business\/2025\/05\/10\/egypts-inflation-climbs-for-a-second-month-on-higher-food-costs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/business\/2025\/05\/10\/egypts-inflation-climbs-for-a-second-month-on-higher-food-costs\/\">inflation level<\/a> at 12 per cent, down from 13.9 per cent in July. The rate in August was the lowest since March 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-3-72FVPXCG35A3JOHQ6LK55X457A\">Mr Madbouly also highlighted the government\u2019s efforts to bring down the debt-to-GDP ratio to 80 per cent next year, down from a peak of about 97 per cent during the 2023-2024 financial year. The ratio of external debts to gross domestic product fell to 85 per cent during the 2024-2025 fiscal year, he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-5-46IOHDJRSBHSJOYSZNEOVJY3ZI\">The drop in Egypt&#8217;s inflation last month came as declines in the prices of meat, poultry and fruits partially offset cost increases for several key goods, including vegetables, dairy products, eggs and household appliances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-6-TVI55WC3YNC6TDH6ZROLY2BR5I\">The country&#8217;s strengthening pound helped reduce costs in the import-reliant economy, according to Japanese bank MUFG in a report on Thursday. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-8-J5PR6FJMEJEY7I6TK2DZZIXFII\">\u201cThe currency, which lost nearly 40 per cent in March 2024, has since rebounded to around 48 per dollar, its strongest in 14 months, supported by foreign inflows, tourism and exports,\u201d it said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-9-6B7UGNYPEZFUZEBXRSC43WGSQM\">The downwards trend in the country\u2019s inflation rate since September 2023 \u2013 when it peaked at 38 per cent \u2013 has also prompted the Central Bank of Egypt to cut interest rates three times this year after maintaining a tight monetary policy to cool off the economy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-10-GLPZJAFAARECJB7MXUQJCTRWDY\">The latest cut was two weeks ago when the bank reduced its overnight lending rate by 200 basis points. The prior cut, in May, slashed rates by 100 basis points. This followed an April reduction of 200 basis points.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-11-QEUFLNBKX5HWVANXYFV2OFYBFI\">A tight monetary policy was one of the International Monetary Fund\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/business\/economy\/2025\/05\/27\/imf-egypt-making-progress-on-reforms-but-must-widen-tax-base\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/business\/economy\/2025\/05\/27\/imf-egypt-making-progress-on-reforms-but-must-widen-tax-base\/\">conditions<\/a> when it agreed to lend Egypt $8 billion over four years last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-12-FVS2YIHLPZFYBCJWQ6OUMYAFWY\">The country\u2019s industrialists had been bemoaning the high interest rates because they limited borrowing from banks for operational costs. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-13-QIAY6KQDWFB5VN3ALBT2LW4GTA\">This consequently resulted in a decrease in production output as many sectors including construction slowed significantly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-14-N6IP3RCZB5GFDMXV3QCDQ2EL54\">However, Mr Madbouly said that the country recorded an increase in exports by about 20 per cent compared to the previous year, a change which he attributed to improving economic conditions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-15-FZATAKERXBBO7MUIBTM4VEMXYI\">He said that lower interest rates enable the repayment of debts because of lower service fees but that the decision to increase or decrease them was not in his government\u2019s purview and was entirely up to the central bank\u2019s monetary policy committee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-16-GNME57GITFH3HJTCEYW7FD5WHQ\">While highlighting the drop in Egypt&#8217;s annual urban consumer price inflation, some economists noted that this metric reflects price changes in urban areas only, which account for 44.4 per cent of Egyptian households, according to a Capmas report earlier this year. Rural inflation, which affects the remaining 55.6 per cent of households, is not captured in this figure and may show a different trend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-17-BXLETJGVCBBEXL7HTUQWQWHQMY\">Looking ahead, with inflation pressures easing and the central bank already cutting rates by 525 basis points this year, further monetary easing remains likely, though potential fuel price rises could temper such moves, MUFG said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-18-NYO3ZNEMRNGAJG2OFOS6HHGVFU\">However, Mr Madbouly has said that another hike in electricity prices was not in the government&#8217;s plan for now.<\/p>\n<p>Mica<\/p>\n<p data-atex-pstyle=\"BO Crosshead 12 Bold\" data-atex-up=\"{RuleAboveColor:PFJ1bGVBYm92ZUNvbG9yIHR5cGU9Im9iamVjdCI-Q29sb3IvTmF0aW9uYWwgQXJ0czwvUnVsZUFib3ZlQ29sb3I-}\">Director: Ismael Ferroukhi<\/p>\n<p data-atex-pstyle=\"*Sans Copy Styles:FB Sans Intro\">Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani<\/p>\n<p data-atex-pstyle=\"*Sans Copy Styles:Z Stars\">3 stars<\/p>\n<p>The years Ramadan fell in MayRead more about the coronavirusKilling of Qassem SuleimaniThe\u00a0five\u00a0pillars\u00a0of\u00a0IslamKilling of Qassem SuleimaniThe Settlers<\/p>\n<p>Director: Louis Theroux<\/p>\n<p>Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz<\/p>\n<p>Rating: 5\/5<\/p>\n<p>UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsKilling of Qassem SuleimaniZayed Sustainability PrizeWhat sanctions would be reimposed?<\/p>\n<p>Under \u2018snapback\u2019, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:<\/p>\n<p>An arms embargo<br \/>\nA ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing<br \/>\nA ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance<br \/>\nA targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities<br \/>\nAuthorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods<br \/>\nThe specs<\/p>\n<p>Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo<\/p>\n<p>Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm<\/p>\n<p>Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm<\/p>\n<p>Transmission: 9-speed auto<\/p>\n<p>Fuel consumption: 6.9L\/100km<\/p>\n<p>On sale: Now<\/p>\n<p>Price: From Dh117,059<\/p>\n<p>Killing of Qassem SuleimaniThe five pillars of IslamMohammed bin Zayed MajlisMore coverage from the Future ForumZayed Sustainability PrizeUAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsMohammed bin Zayed MajlisKILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANIKey facilities<br \/>\nOlympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m\/25m training lanes<br \/>\nPremier League-standard football pitch<br \/>\n400m Olympic running track<br \/>\nNBA-spec basketball court with auditorium<br \/>\n600-seat auditorium<br \/>\nSpaces for historical and cultural exploration<br \/>\nAn elevated football field that doubles as a helipad<br \/>\nSpecialist robotics and science laboratories<br \/>\nAR and VR-enabled learning centres<br \/>\nDisruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills<br \/>\nMore on Quran memorisation:Zayed Sustainability PrizeThe\u00a0specs<\/p>\n<p>Engine:\u00a03.8-litre,\u00a0twin-turbo\u00a0V8<\/p>\n<p>Transmission:\u00a0eight-speed\u00a0automatic<\/p>\n<p>Power:\u00a0582bhp<\/p>\n<p>Torque:\u00a0730Nm<\/p>\n<p>Price:\u00a0Dh649,000<\/p>\n<p>On\u00a0sale:\u00a0now\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Tearful appearance<\/p>\n<p>Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.<\/p>\n<p>Red flags<br \/>\nPromises of high, fixed or &#8216;guaranteed&#8217; returns.<br \/>\nUnregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.<br \/>\nLack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.<br \/>\nOverseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions &#8211; this can make legal recovery difficult.<br \/>\nHard-selling tactics &#8211; creating urgency, offering &#8216;exclusive&#8217; deals.<\/p>\n<p>Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching<\/p>\n<p>The burning issue<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment \u2013\u00a0major manufacturer\u00a0Volvo\u00a0is to stop\u00a0producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021\u00a0and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040.\u00a0The National\u00a0takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Read part four:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenational.ae\/uae\/end-of-the-internal-combustion-engine-part-4-an-affection-for-classic-cars-lives-on-1.694303\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">an affection for classic cars lives on<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Read part three:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenational.ae\/uae\/end-of-the-internal-combustion-engine-part-3-the-age-of-the-electric-vehicle-begins-1.694033\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the age of the electric vehicle begins<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Read part one:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenational.ae\/uae\/transport\/end-of-the-internal-combustion-engine-part-1-how-cars-came-to-the-uae-1.693457\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">how cars came to the UAE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>COMPANY%20PROFILE%20<\/p>\n<p>%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi&#8217;s%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n<p>8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21<\/p>\n<p>\tTrench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish<br \/>\n\tRock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill<br \/>\n\tMento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs<br \/>\n\tAckee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast<br \/>\n\tJamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain<br \/>\n\tJamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling<br \/>\n\tHellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles<br \/>\n\tOut of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding<\/p>\n<p>Killing of Qassem SuleimaniEA Sports FC 25<\/p>\n<p>Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania<br \/>Publisher: EA Sports<br \/>Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&amp;5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X\/S<br \/>Rating: 3.5\/5<\/p>\n<p>BMW M5 specs<\/p>\n<p>Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor<\/p>\n<p>Power: 727hp<\/p>\n<p>Torque: 1,000Nm<\/p>\n<p>Transmission: 8-speed auto<\/p>\n<p>Fuel consumption: 10.6L\/100km<\/p>\n<p>On sale: Now<\/p>\n<p>Price: From Dh650,000<\/p>\n<p>More on animal traffickingWhat are the influencer academy modules?<br \/>\nMastery of audio-visual content creation.\u00a0<br \/>\nCinematography, shots and movement.<br \/>\nAll aspects of post-production.<br \/>\nEmerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.<br \/>\nUnderstanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.<br \/>\nTourism industry knowledge.<br \/>\nProfessional ethics.<br \/>\nResults<\/p>\n<p>5.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m;\u00a0Winner: Al Battar, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer).<\/p>\n<p>6.05pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m;\u00a0Winner: Good Fighter, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.<\/p>\n<p>6.40pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m;\u00a0Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Tadhg O\u2019Shea, Satish Seemar.<\/p>\n<p>7.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m;\u00a0Winner: Immortalised, Tadhg O\u2019Shea, Satish Seemar.<\/p>\n<p>7.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 2,000m;\u00a0Winner: Franz Kafka, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.<\/p>\n<p>8.25pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,200m;\u00a0Winner: Mayadeen, Connor Beasley, Doug Watson.<\/p>\n<p>9pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,600m;\u00a0Winner: Chiefdom, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer<\/p>\n<p>Green\u00a0ambitions<br \/>\nTrees:\u00a01,500\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0planted,\u00a0replacing\u00a0300\u00a0felled\u00a0ones,\u00a0with\u00a0veteran\u00a0oaks\u00a0protected<br \/>\nLake:\u00a0Brown&#8217;s\u00a0centrepiece\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0cleaned\u00a0of\u00a0silt\u00a0that\u00a0makes\u00a0it\u00a0as\u00a0shallow\u00a0as\u00a02.5cm<br \/>\nBiodiversity:\u00a0Bat\u00a0cave\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0added\u00a0and\u00a0habitats\u00a0designed\u00a0for\u00a0kingfishers\u00a0and\u00a0little\u00a0grebes<br \/>\nFlood\u00a0risk:\u00a0Longer\u00a0grass,\u00a0deeper\u00a0lake,\u00a0restored\u00a0ponds\u00a0and\u00a0absorbent\u00a0paths\u00a0all\u00a0meant\u00a0to\u00a0siphon\u00a0off\u00a0water\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsMohammed bin Zayed Majlis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reassured the public that \u201cthe worst has passed\u201d with regard to the country\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17339,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[138,11721,219,19186,1943,111,139,69,1177,427],"class_list":["post-17338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-business-team","tag-economy","tag-egypt","tag-inflation","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-standard","tag-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}