| Kippreport.com

RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS: Egypt seeks $4.8 billion IMF loan for stricken economy

August 22, 2012 5:35 by Reuters

Egypt requested a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund and hopes for a deal by the end of year, officials said during a visit on Wednesday by IMF chief Christine Lagarde to discuss helping the ailing economy.

 

Egypt said last week it would discuss a bigger-than-expected loan from the fund, whose support could help to stave off a balance of payments crisis and rebuild confidence of investors who fled during 18 months of political turmoil.

 

Egypt’s military-appointed interim government had been negotiating a $3.2 billion package before it handed power to President Mohamed Mursi on June 30. The deal was not finalised.

 

“We have officially requested a $4.8 billion loan from the IMF,” presidential spokesman Yasser Ali told Reuters as Lagarde met the president. An IMF official confirmed the request.

 

During earlier talks, army officials had voiced some concerns about extending the nation’s debts under their watch, while the IMF had insisted that any agreement receive “broad political support”.

 

Mursi’s group, the Muslim Brotherhood, at the time declined to support any deal, saying the then government had not given it enough information to show how the money would be used. The Brotherhood at that point had nearly half the seats in parliament.

 

Lagarde’s visit signals a fresh determination on both sides to seal a long-awaited accord after Mursi, who took office on June 30, appointed his first government last month.

 

“The objective … is to improve stability, to restore confidence with a view to encouraging investors to invest and create jobs, to reduce the financial burden of very high financing terms,” Lagarde said after meeting top officials.

 

She said the IMF would look at fiscal, monetary and structural issues. “We will be discussing engaging in a dialogue but at the end of the day … it’s an Egyptian journey and the IMF is a partner in that journey,” she said.

 

Speaking at a joint news conference with Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil, she added that talks would continue on Thursday and an IMF team would make further visits to Egypt.

 

Kandil said he expected the IMF loan would be for five years with a grace period of 39 months and interest rate of 1.1 percent, but said details were still being discussed.

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