It’s been refreshingly slow news day on the local front, ladies and gentlemen. However, we have plenty to read, bing watch, football to carry you to the weekend, so read up.
Macro Group’s shares are officially listed on the EGX today under the stock ticker MCRO.CA after receiving the green light from the bourse’s listing committee ahead of an IPO that could value the company at as much as EGP 3.5 bn. There’s still no clarity on whether it will be at the end of the month or some time in 1Q2022.
PSA- The Tax Authority is warning companies against delaying logging invoices to the Finance Ministry’s e-invoicing system in a statement (pdf) out today. The statement reminded companies that if they do not log them in immediately after they are issued, they could potentially face fines between EGP 20-100k. The statement also warned companies against using any middleware billing software and to input the invoices in the ministry’s system directly.
THE BIG STORIES TODAY-
#1- EGX-listed higher education outfit Taaleem saw a 24% y-o-y increase in its bottomline in 1Q2021-22 (which ended in 30 November 2021) on the back of higher operating revenues and a decrease in expenses, the company said in its earnings release (pdf) today. Revenues for the September-November period also rose 27% y-o-y, the company said.
#2- Egyptian infrastructure companies could be in line to receive some of the USD 1 bn in infrastructure funding courtesy of APICORP and IsDB Infra Initiative. The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) are looking to finance strategic utility projects to private sector companies in member countries of both organizations through the three year initiative. However, priority will be given to 10 Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, including us.
^^We’ll have more on these stories and others in Sunday’s EnterpriseAM.
** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:
- SFE eyes renewable energy sub-fund: The Sovereign Fund of Egypt is working to launch a renewable energy sub-fund this year as part of its plan to support the green transition.
- Egypt plans to develop industrial mining “cities”: These cities would allow for the extracting and processing of gold in the Eastern Desert, phosphates in the Western Desert, and copper in Sinai.
- Grocery startup Tawfeer Market secures USD 500k seed funding: The Alexandria-based online grocery store said that it had received “contributions” from Alexandria Business Angels Network, without mentioning whether other investors were involved.
HAPPENING NOW- The World Youth Forum is wrapping up: COP27 and the participation of youth in it was given the spotlight today, as Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad said that the recommendations concerning climate change discussed within the forum will be built on in the upcoming climate conference, according to a cabinet statement. Meanwhile, the Planning Ministry, PepsiCo Egypt, and RiseUp signed a cooperation agreement to jointly organize the Egypt Hackathon 2030 for the next three years to encourage young people to find innovative solutions to develop the healthcare sector in Egypt, according to a statement.
Highlights from the forum yesterday:
- Egypt is aiming to reduce imports and increase exports in the coming 2-3 years in a move that could save the country USD 30 bn, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said yesterday while being interviewed by the UN Resident Coordinator Elena Panova, reports Ahram Online. El Sisi called on the private-sector to produce imported products.
- Egypt is focusing on increasing exports in three sectors: technology-intensive industries, agriculture, and ICT, he added.
- Infrastructure diplomacy: El Sisi also emphasized the importance of sharing its development expertise with Africa (an important export market).
THE BIG STORY ABROAD- Boris Johnson’s leadership at stake after yesterday’s apology fails to quell anger: Calls for the UK Prime Minister to resign have gotten louder, with politicians and the public alike losing respect for the leader who barred them from having moments with loved ones while he attending a party in May 2020 amidst lockdown measures. Scottish tories and a handful of his own English MPs are pressuring him to leave office before he is forced to face a leadership challenge. Reports are also being released that Johnson had attended several parties at Downing Street, ignoring his own distancing rules, with the scandal now being dubbed “partygate”. CNBC and the Financial Times have the story.
Johnson going bye bye could be good for the GBP: The prospect of a resignation from Johnson could give the GBP an additional boost, analysts forecast. “A strong and stable leadership could set the pound on a better course,” Jane Foley, a strategist at Rabobank in London, told Bloomberg. So far, the GBP has been slightly rising, further indicating that the removal of Johnson could be an upside for the currency.
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SODIC shareholders will vote on the company’s new board of directors at an extraordinary general meeting on Sunday, 16 January. The formation of the new board comes after an Emirati consortium of real estate giant Aldar Properties and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ in December acquired 85.5% of SODIC in an allcash, EGP 6.1 bn transaction.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in is due in town from 20-21 January on an official visit, during which he will meet President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.
☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- It’s going to be a cold weekend: Temperatures across the country are set to dip over the weekend, according to the Egyptian Meteorological Authority, which forecasts the mercury to dip as low as 7°C in the capital between today and Monday. The authority is forecasting wind and a chance of light to moderate rain over the next four days.
Look for daytime highs of 15-16°C over each of the next five days, our favourite weather app tells us.



