Employers Federation: Obstacles on the Road to Achieving Economic Integration Between Egypt and Sudan
Cairo – Sabah – Nazik
The President of the Sudanese Businessmen and Employers Federation, Muawiya Al-Bireir, tied the realization of full economic partnership between Egypt and Sudan to the availability of financing, which he said would be complete with the entry of Arab capital through financial institutions and Egyptian financial bodies.
Al-Bireir criticized the lack of special treatment for the private sector in Egypt, unlike in Sudan, where certain benefits exist. He noted that such privileges in Egypt are limited to categories unrelated to the private sector.
Speaking at the opening session of the first preparatory workshop for the Second Sudanese-Egyptian Business Forum, held today in Cairo under the theme “Food and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Between Egypt and Sudan – Opportunities and Challenges”, Al-Bireir called for adopting a flexible policy toward the private sector by allowing Sudanese banks to operate inside Egypt.
He also urged Egyptian authorities to allow Sudanese businessmen to use their assets in Egypt as guarantees.
Al-Bireir added that attracting further investment between Egypt and Sudan requires easing restrictions on the movement of businessmen and exempting them from security clearance requirements.
He stressed that establishing joint industrial zones would create job opportunities for both Egyptians and Sudanese, pointing out that any surplus in Egypt corresponds to a gap in Sudan, and any surplus in Sudan corresponds to a gap in Egypt, given their complementary resources.
He explained that inter-trade between Egypt and Sudan could be raised from 1% to 10%, amounting to 10 billion USD.
For his part, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Ali Salah, revealed the formation of a new Business Council between Egyptian and Sudanese entrepreneurs to introduce and promote integrated economic sectors between the two countries.
Salah said that growth in trade exchange between Egypt and Sudan is contingent on resolving the issue of banking transfers between the two countries, stressing the importance of establishing direct transfers. He also pointed to logistical problems at border crossings that require direct intervention to solve.
He noted that Egypt used to be Sudan’s top supplier of medicine ten years ago, but that role has since shifted to India.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Mona Mehrez, affirmed that the private sector is the strong arm of investment and development in both countries.
She highlighted the complementarity of resources and expertise between Sudan and Egypt, which supports comprehensive economic integration.
Dr. Mehrez further noted that Egypt has advanced in agricultural technologies and seeds through its research centers, achieving high productivity.
She revealed that Egypt imports around 22 million tons of grains annually, despite the availability of land and water, which increases opportunities for integration between the private sectors of both countries.
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