Hi Egypt: Treasury Secretary Pledges Support for Entrepreneurship in Cairo:
Cairo — The United States, directly and through multilateral development banks, will help micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises flourish in Egypt and access the financing they need to develop, Treasury Secretary Lew says in Cairo.
"Entrepreneurship is vital to any economy -- but particularly for Egypt's economic future," U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew said in Cairo October 27, adding he was excited to be at the city's first technology and innovation park with people "who represent the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit needed to create the next generation of businesses in Egypt."
The park was one stop on a visit that also included meetings with Lew's Egyptian counterpart and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, shown above with the secretary.
Small businesses are vital to securing long-term, inclusive and sustainable growth in the Egyptian economy and essential to creating jobs and expanding opportunities for the Egyptian people, Lew said.
The secretary singled out access to finance as a key constraint on small businesses, and said the United States "is keenly focused on helping micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises flourish and access the financing they need to develop."
Specifically, the U.S. government is promoting delivery of credit and related services to low-income entrepreneurs in Egypt and, through the multilateral development banks, is underwriting significant changes in private-sector financing, Lew said.
As part of an effort to strengthen ties between Egyptian firms and the U.S. private sector, the U.S. Embassy will host a series of events to foster support for Egyptian entrepreneurs and demonstrate U.S. commitment to entrepreneurship in Egypt.
In November, the United States will lead a U.S. Chamber of Commerce mission that includes representatives of more than 50 large U.S. firms to Egypt. The delegation will look for progress on Egypt's economic reform agenda and signs that the business climate is safe and respectful of the rights and freedoms of the Egyptian people.