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Egypt Program Overview
FSVC Egypt Program
Key Indicators: 2003-2012
Years Since Inception 10
Projects Completed 146
Number of Volunteers 414
Pro Bono Hours Delivered 17,408

FSVC began operations in Egypt in late 2003 with funding from the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).  The initial program mission focused on strengthening the Central Bank of Egypt as well as improving lending to commercial banks.  Since 2003, FSVC's initial program has been renewed and expanded upon by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to include development of a regulatory framework for capital markets, small and medium-enterprise (SME) lending, and improved banking regulation/supervision.
 
Key Accomplishments 
 
From left: Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI) Executive Director Mona El Baradei, Central Bank of Egypt Governor Farouk El Okdah, FSVC Country Director Nevine Dakroury and FSVC Program Advisor Edward Sia, at a graduation ceremony for the EBI's Future Leaders Program.
Small and Medium-Enterprises (SMEs):
The Egyptian SME sector has long been identified as an area of high potential growth.  Yet, many budding entrepreneurs and growing SMEs are limited by poor access to the capital and tools required for efficient business expansion.  To meet this demand, FSVC, in partnership with HSBC, executed projects to assist in the growth of SMEs, which included the development of a Web Portal for entrepreneurs, assessments of institutional and policy impediments to SME financing, delivery of SME-related events and trainings, as well as practical workshops tailored for budding entrepreneurs and SMEs.
 
Capital Markets:
In 2008, Mr. Tarek Amer, Chairman of the National Bank of Egypt (NBE), identified FSVC to provide technical assistance in regard to proposed regulations for trading over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives products.  To comment on these proposed regulations, FSVC selected Volunteer experts who reviewed the procedures and potential impact of OTC derivatives.  In their analysis, Volunteer experts provided the NBE with four possible variations for sound credit facility agreements.  As a result of the commentary project, the NBE was better able to bring OTC derivatives transactions in line with international best practices while mitigating their associated risks.
 
Banking Regulation/Supervision:
In partnership with Dr. Hala El Said, Executive Director of the Egyptian Banking Institute (EBI), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), FSVC has had an active role in improving the examination and regulation of Egyptian banks.  Specifically, FSVC projects have been tailored in Egypt to create positive feedback loops by training instructors to deliver adapted FDIC course materials.  Through participation in this multi-phase program, a pilot group of professional CBE instructors learned effective techniques for teaching fundamentals of bank supervision, basic bank analysis, report preparation, and operations manager training.

Success Stories

Commentary on CBE Oversight of Financial Institutions: Corporate Governance (December 2012, Egypt)

Private Equity Certification Introduction to Private Equity (November 2012, Egypt)

Advanced SME Certification Training on Credit Scoring for SME (October 2012, Egypt)

Strategic Plan for Financial Literacy (September 2012, Egypt)


Office Contact
Nevine Dakroury
Country Director
tel: +201 001 555 688