Boosting Trade in Egypt
Rachid Mohammed Rachid, Minister of Trade and Industry, describes his experience as a member of the new economic reform team appointed in 2004 by President Mubarak. The team was tasked with reviving the Egyptian economy to achieve economic growth levels of 6 percent, provide employment opportunities to the 650,000 new entrants to the job market, and double both the foreign direct investment inflows and total trade, through more integration into the world economy. To add to the pressure, elections were due in 2005 and without any demonstrable change, the new cabinet risked not being in government any more. The paper focuses on lessons learned from trade facilitation reforms carried out during the 2003-2007 Period.
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