Latest news with #Tahoun
Egypt Independent
26-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Independent
Economist says Egypt's debt servicing bill exceeds 50% of public spending
Economic expert Nermin Tahoun said that Egypt's debt servicing bill currently exceeds 50 percent of public spending, which poses a major challenge for the state. She added that the Finance Ministry's announcement of a primary surplus of 3.1 percent of GDP from the July 2024-April 2025 period strongly indicates improved public financial management, and provides greater confidence in the government's ability to adhere to the path of economic reform. This surplus, the highest in Egypt's history, is equivalent to nearly LE600 billion and comes at a highly sensitive time, as the global economy is experiencing inflationary pressures and a decline in capital flows to emerging markets. Tahoun explained that this achievement was made despite a decline in revenues from some vital sectors, such as the Suez Canal and the petroleum sector, while Suez Canal revenues declined by approximately 40 percent during the first quarter of 2025. This reflects the effectiveness of fiscal policies in compensating for the loss by improving tax collection efficiency and controlling public spending, she explained. Tahoun said that this surplus supports the state's ability to finance basic expenditures without the need to borrow to finance the current deficit, contributing to reducing pressure on public debt. While praising the results, Tahoun emphasized that 'achieving a primary surplus is a positive step, but the most important thing is to continue achieving it sustainably.' The government must strike a delicate balance between achieving fiscal discipline and stimulating economic growth, she said, especially since the current growth rate—estimated at between 3.5 and four percent—is still below long-term targets. Tahoun concluded by saying that the focus during the next phase should be on deepening local production, attracting foreign direct investment, and expanding the social protection umbrella to ensure that positive indicators are reflected in improved quality of life, not just overall indicators. Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
Zawya
05-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt's public-private partnership investments hit $390mln in FY 2023/2024
Egypt - Nermeen Tahoun, economic expert and founding partner of Tahoun Legal Consulting, underscored the growing importance of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts as a critical tool for financing infrastructure and public service projects. Tahoun emphasized that while a robust legal and institutional framework is essential for the success of PPPs, it is not sufficient on its own. She called for the establishment of a dedicated PPP unit to provide effective oversight and coordination, alongside strong backing from key government entities—particularly the Ministry of Finance and relevant procurement authorities. She noted that Egypt secured EGP 19.8bn in partnership investments during the fiscal year (FY) 2023/2024. These investments spanned various sectors including dry ports, electricity distribution networks, vocational education, and strategic commodity storage. Government statements indicate that six new PPP projects, with a combined value exceeding EGP 27bn, are scheduled to launch in FY 2024/2025. On a regional level, Tahoun pointed out that PPP investments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region more than doubled, rising from $1.4bn in 2022 to $2.9bn in 2023. Energy projects led the way, comprising around 62% of total PPP initiatives in 2024, with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE emerging as key contributors. 'Several Arab countries have made significant progress in executing PPP projects in essential sectors such as energy, transport, healthcare, and education,' Tahoun said. 'Nonetheless, numerous challenges persist—particularly legal and regulatory hurdles, weak institutional capacity, and misaligned incentives between the public and private sectors. These issues continue to impede the effective implementation and scalability of PPP models across the region.'
Daily News Egypt
03-05-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt's public-private partnership investments hit EGP 19.8bn in FY 2023/2024: Tahoun Consulting
Nermeen Tahoun, economic expert and founding partner of Tahoun Legal Consulting, underscored the growing importance of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts as a critical tool for financing infrastructure and public service projects. Tahoun emphasized that while a robust legal and institutional framework is essential for the success of PPPs, it is not sufficient on its own. She called for the establishment of a dedicated PPP unit to provide effective oversight and coordination, alongside strong backing from key government entities—particularly the Ministry of Finance and relevant procurement authorities. She noted that Egypt secured EGP 19.8bn in partnership investments during the fiscal year (FY) 2023/2024. These investments spanned various sectors including dry ports, electricity distribution networks, vocational education, and strategic commodity storage. Government statements indicate that six new PPP projects, with a combined value exceeding EGP 27bn, are scheduled to launch in FY 2024/2025. On a regional level, Tahoun pointed out that PPP investments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region more than doubled, rising from $1.4bn in 2022 to $2.9bn in 2023. Energy projects led the way, comprising around 62% of total PPP initiatives in 2024, with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE emerging as key contributors. 'Several Arab countries have made significant progress in executing PPP projects in essential sectors such as energy, transport, healthcare, and education,' Tahoun said. 'Nonetheless, numerous challenges persist—particularly legal and regulatory hurdles, weak institutional capacity, and misaligned incentives between the public and private sectors. These issues continue to impede the effective implementation and scalability of PPP models across the region.'
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Toy store owner in Boston takes steps to keep prices down for customers due to tariffs
A toy store owner in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood said she's worried about her future and trying to keep prices down for her customers due to President Trump's tariff war with China. For years, Boing! Toy Shop has offered families of Jamaica Plain a joyful alternative to big-box stores. "A lot of the things that you find here, you won't find at Amazon or Target or any of those other big box stores," said Nermeen Tahoun, the store's new owner. Price increases on toys made in China Tahoun took over last September. Since then, she said it was thriving—until a recent wave of vendor emails signaled trouble. "About a month ago, I started getting spreadsheets showing price increases," Tahoun explained. Many of the toys she stocks are manufactured in China. The tariffs on Chinese imports, reintroduced under President Trump, have hit her inventory hard. "Some items you could look at and the price increase anywhere from like $1 to $5," she told WBZ. "Bigger items, you're looking at even higher." Trump addressed the issue at a cabinet meeting Wednesday, stating, "Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally." Toy shop owner stocks up on inventory To brace for the impact, Tahoun has stocked the basement of her store with enough toys to last through October. She's hoping it will help her business while maintaining the loyalty of her customers. "Not everyone has that extra couple of bucks, and that's the reality of the world that we live in," said Tahoun. "If you are going to go and buy a toy, we want to you come here, and we want to keep our prices as competitive as possible while also being a small business."
Zawya
01-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt targets 36% increase in PPP investments in current fiscal
Egypt is targeting 36 percent increase in public-private partnership (PPP) models in the current fiscal which ends on 30 June 2025, according to economic expert Dr. Nermeen Tahoun. Speaking at the Arab Banking Conference 2025 in Cairo on Wednesday, Tahoun, who is also the founding partner of Tahoun & Associates, said the government is launching six new PPP projects totalling more than 27 billion Egyptian pounds ($530 million) in value after managing to attract EGP19.8 billion ($389 million) in fiscal 2023-2024. She didn't elaborate on the sectors but said PPP projects during the previous fiscal covered sectors such as dry ports, electricity networks, vocational education, and strategic commodity storage. Tahoun cautioned that legal and institutional framework alone is not sufficient to ensure the success of PPP projects. Institutional arrangements in the form of a dedicated PPP unit with active participation by ministries and government agencies involved in finance, procurement and contracting is equally important. She said some Arab countries have successfully implemented PPP projects in diverse sectors including energy, transport, healthcare, and education. 'However, there are several challenges hindering the expansion of these partnerships and maximising their potential. These include legal and regulatory obstacles, weak institutional infrastructure, and conflicting incentives between the public and private sectors, which make it difficult to implement partnership models effectively,' she noted. (1 US Dollar = 50.81 Egyptian Pounds) (Writing by Eman Hamed; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
