To introduce the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and its Egypt-Africa Trade Promotion Programme (EATPP) as well as other specialized programmes and facilities that can be used by home textile manufacturers and exporters to increase trade with the rest of Africa, the Bank has recently held a knowledge sharing session organized in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Home Textile Export Council of Egypt (HTEC).
Held under the theme, “Export Guarantee and Facilitation”, the event, which took place in Cairo on 11 April, sought to increase the awareness of the players in the sector of the $500-million EATPP, which was launched by the Bank to facilitate trade between Egypt and the rest of Africa and deepen industrial activity in Egypt by financing import of capital goods and supporting improved access of Egyptian entities to African markets.
The event included a presentation by Dr. Christiane Abou-Lehaf, Manager, Projects & Export Development Finance, and member of the Bank’s EATPP Committee, in which she introduced the programme and explained its features and objectives as well as discussed Egypt-Africa trade.
Dr. Abou-Lehaf highlighted Egypt’s potentials in intra-African trade and the role it could play in its expansion.
Ayman Al Zoghby, Manager in the Syndications and Specialized Funding Department, and also member of the EATPP Committee, presented the Bank’s financing programmes and specialized products.
Participants highlighted the pivotal role of Egypt in intra-regional trade in Africa and stressed the need to overcome obstacles related to transportation, shipping and storage. They also recognised the importance of establishing logistics hubs to support movement of trade among African countries.
The event which was well attended, witnessed the participation of the Egyptian Export Guarantee Company, the Egyptian export councils, including the Export Council for Leather and Leather products and the Export Council for Building Materials and Refractories, as well as Egyptian exporters, manufacturers and traders, particularly from the home textile sector, who showed great interest in the Bank’s presented financial products.
The Afreximbank team to the session also included EATPP members Yusuf Daya, Senior Manager, Projects and Export Development Finance, and Omar Badr of the Department of Trade Finance and Branches.