Egypt ranks first in the Agility index for fastest infrastructure growth in 2017

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Egypt ranks first in the Agility index for fastest infrastructure growth in 2017

 

The Agility Index,​​ which measures the level of infrastructure in emerging markets,​​ has​​ announced that​​ Egypt​​ is​​ the fastest growing​​ market​​ in 2017 and ranked​​ 14th​​ out of 50​​ surveyed​​ countries.​​ 

In this paper, we will discuss​​ how the index works and its standards and​​ how​​ Egypt​​ has​​ developed within this framework.​​ We will also​​ explain the relationship between spending on infrastructure on one hand and improving​​ the​​ citizens’​​ living standards​​ on the other.

 

First:​​ What​​ is​​ Agility?

Agility​​ Logistics​​ is the largest​​ management​​ and industrial development company in the Middle East and North Africa,​​ it was​​ founded in 1979 and​​ is​​ headquartered in Kuwait​​ city. The institution works in 100​​ countries and has 500 offices with​​ 22 thousand employees. It has 4 branches in Egypt (Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Port Said) and has achieved​​ returns of $4.1 billion with a net profit​​ of $193 million.

 

Second:​​ Index​​ criteria

  • Market size, growth rate, business climate, transport/road network, customs and​​ trans-border transport (amounting for​​ 50% of the​​ percentage​​ weight of the country's ranking in the index)

  • Size and quality of roads, transport and communications network

  • Surveying 500​​ of the​​ top​​ experts and managers in the field of logistics and trade

  • The report is reviewed and presented to several international institutions such as: the IMF, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and its economic, industrial and commercial​​ agencies.

 

Third: The most prominent issues to raise​​ concern in the report

  • The experts expressed their confusion and alarm at President Trump's policies and possibility of a US withdrawal from the NAFTA agreement (a free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada, which came into force in 1994)

  • Other issues of concern to the logistics sector in 2018​​ are

A)​​ China's massive debt problem and​​ its​​ potential risks

B)​​ The bold reforms programme​​ in Saudi Arabia

C)​​ The political crisis and corruption scandals in Brazil

 

 

 

Fourth: What​​ are​​ the​​ 10 most improved countries in the index?

Egypt ranked first in the list of the most improved among all 50 countries, with an overall​​ move​​ of 6​​ ranks​​ from 20th to 14th.

 

1- Egypt

2- Qatar​​ 

3- Bangladesh

4- Pakistan

5- Thailand

6- Ethiopia

7-​​ Iran

8- Vietnam

9- China

10- Peru

 

Fifth: Which countries deteriorated​​ in this year's index?

 

  • Venezuela topped the list of​​ the most deteriorated countries. The​​ decline is directly linked to the severe economic crisis and the huge inflation​​ due to​​ poor management of the economy during the period of high oil prices and​​ no​​ precautionary scenario in the case of falling​​ prices. Accordingly,​​ in 2014,​​ when the oil prices​​ moved to $30 per barrel from about $130​​ per barrel, the violent shake​​ lead the market to deteriorate.

  • Nigeria came in second​​ as a result of​​ the deterioration of the economic crisis and mismanagement of the file of monetary and financial reform, as well as,​​ the widening and deepening of the​​ black market crisis in Lagos.​​ Where in not for​​ the​​ latest​​ increase in​​ oil prices,​​ the Nigerian economic crisis would have been heading​​ towards​​ a​​ more severe deterioration.

Notable other poor performers

Saudi Arabia’s indicators reflected a​​ decline in the​​ index​​ for​​ logistics and infrastructure in 2017 due to the crisis of​​ delayed works or projects within​​ construction and real estate. This was largely​​ due to​​ the oil crisis and​​ its temporary negative impact on economic reform.

It was​​ also striking to see South Africa,​​ Egypt's​​ largest​​ counterpart on the African continent,​​ suffering from​​ a​​ significant decline in its infrastructure and investments​​ into roads and transportation, which is mainly due to​​ the political unrest there since 2012 that has overshadowed the economy.

 

Comment on​​ Egypt’s developments

 

  • At​​ the beginning of the economic reforms in​​ the middle​​ of 2014, Egypt was ranked at the 32nd place​​ (In the​​ Agility​​ index of​​ 2015).​​ 

 

Furthermore, Egypt was among the list of the worst 10 countries​​ to deteriorate,​​ alongside Libya, Jordan, Cambodia and Lebanon.

  • In 2016, some of the national projects​​ began to​​ reflect upon the country​​ and​​ it​​ entered​​ the​​ list of most developed countries, whilst also​​ elevating 22nd​​ in the overall standings.​​ 

 

  • In the 2017 report,​​ Egypt​​ continued to improve and our​​ overall​​ ranking​​ moved to​​ 20th position.

 

 

  • Finally, in the 2018 report,​​ Egypt tops the list of​​ improving​​ countries​​ in terms of​​ development in infrastructure.​​ That​​ moved our ranking to​​ 14th position,​​ which is​​ the best ranking Egypt​​ has​​ ever​​ achieved​​ since the launch of the index.

 

 

 

  • It should​​ be​​ noted that​​ the index includes large and strong economies such as​​ China, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

 

 

6.​​ Furthermore​​ Egypt has outperformed strong economies such as​​ Thailand,​​ the​​ Philippines, Vietnam, Morocco, South Africa, Argentina, Jordan, and Tunisia. As well as,​​ major oil countries such as Nigeria, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran​​ and​​ Algeria.

 

 

 

Final result

Egypt has taken bold steps in​​ floating its currency and reducing​​ government support to attract investment, boost exports and raise tourism revenues. In doing this, it has also​​ attained​​ the trust and​​ support of​​ international institutions such as the IMF.

There is a​​ reason for optimism about the Egyptian economy. A large number of​​ investors​​ are shifting their production lines to Cairo​​ whilst​​ others​​ are​​ expanding their existing lines to benefit from the low costs​​ of​​ production​​ and​​ recent reforms.

Some aim to exploit Egypt’s newly established business set-up​​ as a production and distribution platform to serve Africa and the Middle East

The Central Bank of Egypt has done a​​ good​​ job in curbing inflation and the government’s​​ efforts in developing​​ improved and new legislations​​ have further added to the success of the development process.

Foreign reserves​​ are on the rise (currently covering 8 months​​ ahead of requirements and a good plan for debt interests and dues coverage in scope), restrictions on imports have eased, infrastructural​​ projects are nearing completion or completed, which will enhance the country's energy and the capacity of​​ its​​ road network.

In this report​​ there is​​ a clear indication of the​​ importance​​ of spending on infrastructure and​​ its correlation to​​ attracting domestic and foreign investments​​ that lead to a​​ higher cash flow​​ in​​ the​​ Egyptian​​ economy.​​ Agility​​ Logistics​​ states that​​ it has noticed some of its customers turning to Egypt and some of them are expanding there after the reforms to exploit​​ it​​ as a platform for​​ expansion into​​ Africa and the region. This​​ added value can generate​​ positive growth​​ in​​ 2018, provided that the Egyptian government​​ completes​​ the​​ process of​​ economic reforms​​ in accordance with​​ the IMF programme. This will, concurrently,​​ maintain the credibility and confidence in the Egyptian market​​ that should yield a healthier economy and better living conditions for the citizens.

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