Minister of Finance Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali said that the forthcoming stage will witness the find for solutions to problems irking small businesses whose debts have reached between 1-5 million pounds.  He said the government is on the verge of launching an economics court law for the swift finalization of disputes and encourage investments.  Arab and foreign investors have bought worth 7 billion dollars of treasury bonds.  Ghali has further reiterated that the government is eager to develop credit markets to finance investments adding that credit growth by 8% in not enough to support economic growth.

The Minister noted that amount allocated to export funds has soared to 2 billion dollars to increase its export edge.  The government has already undertaken plans to support the PPP system in a number of infrastructural pojects including the construction of 300 schools in the first stage, utilities projects, water treatment, paving roads, building hospitals and transporting natural gas to homes.

The minister noted that the trade deficit in the first half has reached 49.1 billion pounds, a slight increase over last year. Local investments in the first quarter has soared by 32%, consumption by 8% and foreign investments by 95%.  The government has a program for training young people through an allocation of 500 million pounds to the ministry of industry and prepare to join the labor market.

(source:Ministry of Finance)