Minister of Planning: We are coordinating to establish a permanent financing entity capable of efficiently providing risk mitigation services

Cairo – Nadeh Imam

Dr. Ahmed Rustom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, held an extensive meeting with a high-level delegation from the European Investment Bank (EIB), attended by Dr. Hussein Issa, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, to discuss expanding innovative financing mechanisms, reviewing the status of the joint investment portfolio, and activating the “Infrastructure Project Financing Guarantee Mechanism.”

The European Bank’s delegation included Guido Cleri, Head of the Bank’s Regional Center for North Africa and the Near East in Cairo; Ulrich Brunhuber, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Operations Sector at EIB Global; and Ramakolada Martinez, Head of the Mashreq Unit in the Administration. Also present were Dr. Tarek Al-Shaarawi, the Minister’s Advisor for International Cooperation, and Mostafa Moataz, the Minister’s Advisor for Project Follow-up.

Dr. Hussein Issa emphasized that the economic team attaches strategic importance to the “Infrastructure Financing Guarantee Mechanism,” considering it a crucial tool for supporting major projects and alleviating direct burdens on the state budget.

The Minister of Planning and Economic Development clarified that the success of this mechanism requires active participation from international partners. He noted that contributions from international institutions to the mechanism’s capital enhance its institutional sustainability and send a strong message of confidence that stimulates investment flows. He affirmed the government’s commitment to broadening the scope of partnership to establish a permanent financing entity capable of efficiently providing risk-reduction services.

Dr. Ahmed Rustom stressed the Ministry’s keenness to optimally utilize innovative financing tools and direct them toward projects with multiplier effects. He explained that expanding the availability of guarantees directly contributes to reducing financing risks, thereby opening the door to injecting commercial and concessional financing in partnership with the private sector. He added that coordination is underway with the Central Bank to obtain the necessary licenses for the mechanism within the regulatory framework of the banking financial sector.

Dr. Ahmed Rustom further stated that the Ministry is working on preparing the upcoming cooperation portfolio in advance to identify appropriate financing instruments for each project, with a focus on green transition sectors, clean energy, and wastewater infrastructure, in alignment with the targets of “Egypt Vision 2030” and the priorities of the National Economic Transformation Program 2027/2030.

For their part, representatives of the European Investment Bank expressed their appreciation for the fruitful cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, emphasizing the Bank’s strong interest in participating in the development of the “guarantee and financing structures” currently being prepared, and in expanding support for green energy and infrastructure projects in Egypt, based on the growing partnership between the two sides.