81231762-National Financial Inclusion Survey and Strategy Egypt

Any long term economic strategy for Egypt needs to strengthen the potential of Egypt's micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which employ approximately 75 % of the workforce, but only account for 25 % of GDP. The main obstacle faced by MSMEs in particular, but also by other disenfranchised groups, constitutes the difficult and unreliable access to financial services. In order to formulate targeted and effective policies, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) needs accurate data on the supply as well as the demand side for financial services in the formal and the informal sector. Therefore, the program "Promotion of Access to Finance for SMEs in Egypt" (PAFSME) supports the efforts of its Egyptian partner by conducting a market diagnostic of households and MSMEs and thus establishing a comprehensive data-reliant evidence base. The gained information will be employed to guide and support the CBE in the process of informing and drafting a national financial inclusion strategy for Egypt.