IMF delegation in Cairo to begin review

An IMF delegation arrived in Cairo yesterday and “is staying two or three days” to begin the review required before the disbursement of a second installment of the IMF funding, according to Reuters. The second installment is worth USD 1.25 bn and, according to the IMF’s proposed schedule, it should be disbursed by 15 March. There is also another IMF delegation in town, a source told the newswire, that arrived on Sunday and is staying until 9 February. This delegation is “providing technical support and training in budget preparation and government programs.”