Amerikanerne vil hjælpe det nye Egypten efter Mubarak – akkurat som de hjalp landet under den afsatte præsident
The US will cancel an estimated 1 billion US dollar (ca. 5 milliarder DKR) of Egypt’s debts.
The decision is part of a bundle of economic aid, which also includes commercial and investment-related incentives that seek to restore stability following the 25 January revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Egyptian growth rates are expected to dip 4 percent from last year, and pressure to create jobs is mounting. Since the start of the revolution, the US has given Egypt 150 million dollar in economic assistance and Tunisia a mere 20 million dollar.
Eonomic assistance for Egypt and Tunisia is “fundamental to our capacity to support their democratic transitions”, a senior State Department official said on the condition of anonymity.
He said that officials were in the midst of ‘intense policy formulation’ but that the economic package wasn’t finished. Parts of it will need congressional approval.
US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Robert Hormats is currently in Egypt to discuss what form the relief would take: outright debt forgiveness, loan guarantees or debt swaps, which would convert the loan into aid programs, the senior administration official said.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
