Sunday, 24 July 2022

PM — The Enterprise guide to opening a factory in Egypt.

TL;DR

???? WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TONIGHT

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to a slow summer news day. And if you’ve been cursing the lack of a three-day weekend like us, we got some more bad news in store.

We probably won’t get a three-day weekend for the Islamic New Year: Saturday will be a national holiday in observance of the Islamic New Year, according to a statement by the Madbouly cabinet today. It seems unlikely that the government will push up the Islamic New Year observance day holiday to include a weekday, but we haven’t given up hope for an Islamic New Year’s miracle.

Calling all Marvel fans: Before we move on to the headlines we need to note that the trailer for Black Panther 2 is out and gives a fitting tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. The trailer for the sequel to 2018’s Black Panther dropped today (watch, runtime: 02:11) with the film due to be released in the US in November. With subtle allusions to late star Chadwick Boseman, who played the original Black Panther T’Challa before his death in 2020, we defy Marvel fans to watch the trailer without a tear in their eyes.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

Pioneers Properties for Urban Development has closed a EGP 425 mn securitized bond issuance, the second in a wider EGP 3 bn bond program, according to a press release (pdf) from EFG Hermes, who advised on the issuance. The four-tranche issuance is backed by a receivables portfolio of some EGP 613.5 mn.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

Ukraine pledges to resume preparations to export wheat despite Russia’s missile attack: The country’s infrastructure minister, Alexander Kubrakov, said yesterday that Ukraine’s preparations to resume grain exports from its ports would continue, hours after it accused Russia of firing missiles at Ukrainian port city Odessa in breach of a landmark accord it had just signed with Ukraine, Turkey and the UN to resume grain exports through the Black Sea.

What happened: Russia confirmed that it had hit a Ukrainian military boat in Odessa with missiles, drawing condemnation from the UN, the EU, the US, and other countries, Reuters reported. The missiles did not hit the port’s grain storage area, public broadcaster Suspilne quotes Ukraine’s military spokesperson as saying.

HAPPENING NOW-

US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer is in Egypt, on the first leg of a trip that will also see him visit the UAE and Ethiopia, from 24 July – 1 August, according to a statement released yesterday by the US Embassy.

Top of the agenda? GERD: Hammer will offer US support aiming at a “diplomatic resolution” to issues related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the statement says. While in Addis Ababa, he will also consult with the African Union, which has been leading GERD negotiations, it adds. His visit comes as Ethiopia is halfway through the third GERD filling, while negotiations have been stalled since last summer.

^^We’ll have more on these stories and others in tomorrow’s EnterpriseAM.

** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

  • Pachin turns down Saybad acquisition offer: The board of state-owned, EGX-listed paint maker Paint and Chemicals Industries (Pachin) has rejected Saybad Industrial Investment’s acquisition bid, saying that it undervalues the company.
  • Engineering and contracting company FEMCO is looking at potentially IPOing on the EGX within the next two years to finance its expansion plans, which include a foray into real estate development.
  • Diplo is topping the news cycle this week: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in town to meet several Egyptian officials in Cairo, while Egypt, the UAE and Jordan are discussing their new industrial partnership.

enterprise

*** It’s Inside Industry day — your weekly briefing of all things industrial in Egypt. Inside Industry focuses each Sunday on what it takes to turn Egypt into a manufacturing and export powerhouse, ranging from initial investment and planning to product distribution, through to land allocation to industrial processes, supply chain management, labor, automation and technology, inputs and exports, regulation and policy.

In today’s issue: Want to open a factory in Egypt? Not sure where to begin? Having little clarity on what it is you should be doing procedurally to get that under way? Well, you’re in luck: After years of a slow and unclear process for industrial licensing (and plenty of complaints from industry players), the Trade Ministry and Industrial Development Authority (IDA) now have clear and streamlined procedures. We break those procedures down for you below.

FOR TOMORROW-

OFH board to give its say on Chimera’s bid to acquire Beltone: Orascom Financial Holding (OFH)’s board of directors will meet tomorrow to decide on Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Chimera Investments’ bid to acquire up to 90% of Beltone Financial, CEO Nils Bachtler confirmed to Enterprise. “The BoD will meet tomorrow to discuss the offer approved by the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA),” Bachtler said, without providing further details. OFH owns around 58% of Beltone Financial.

Background: Chimera Investments submitted a bid to acquire the shares for EGP 1.485 apiece in June, an offer that values the company at around EGP 690 mn. The offer was approved by the FRA last week.

???? CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Leaders from across Africa are scheduled to convene in Washington for the US-Africa Leaders Summit from 13-15 December. The summit will bring together leaders to discuss pressing matters including food security and climate change, according to a White House statement.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Expect the weather to be the same tomorrow as it is today in the capital city. Our favorite weather app suggests we’re looking at a daytime high of 37°C and a nighttime low of 23°C.

enterprise

???? FOR YOUR COMMUTE

Deep Space Initiative founder Sara Sabry will join upcoming New Shepard flight, becoming the first Egyptian in space: Egyptian engineer Sara Sabry (LinkedIn) will join five other crew members onboard the New Shepard rocket’s 22nd space flight, Jeff Bezos’ space tourism company Blue Origin — which operates the suborbital rocket system — announced last week. The mission will see each astronaut carry a postcard to space on behalf of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future foundation, which encourages students to pursue STEM careers. The mission date will be announced soon, the company added.

Who is Sabry? As well as getting ready to make history by being the first Egyptian to travel to space, Sabry is the founder of the NGO Deep Space Initiative, which conducts research on all things space-related, including astronaut health and building space stations and habitable environments. Sabry is also Egypt’s first female analog astronaut, having completed a two-week analog Moon mission in 2021, simulating the extreme conditions astronauts experience in Space, while remaining here on Earth.

New Chelsea FC owners raise c. USD 960 mn in mega debt transaction: US financier Todd Boehly and private investment firm Clearlake Capital have finalized a debt agreement worth GBP 800 mn (or roughly USD 960 mn) — one of the biggest ever debt financing transactions the sport has ever seen. Bank of America and JPMorgan are among the banks involved with the financing, sources told The Financial Times. Around 40% of the transaction will go towards a revolving credit facility and the remainder to a term loan. The new owners, who acquired Chelsea for approximately USD 2.9 bn in May, are now looking to reshape the club by bolstering the London club’s operations, upgrading its Stamford Bridge stadium and continuing expanding the team’s global fan base.

Large debt financing has become a mainstay in football in recent years: The previous record was held by Manchester City’s parent company, which raised USD 650 mn in July 2021. This follows FC Barcelona raising EUR 525 mn and Tottenham Hotspur borrowing USD 760 mn from several banks to build its newest stadium.

Leveraged buyouts in English football (particularly by American outfits) have become a toxic issue for fans. Just ask any Manchester United supporter, who will scream bloody murder at how the Glazers sadled the club with debt in order to buy it (watch, runtime: 9:22). Many would cite this event as the beginning of the decline of the storied English club. Want to know more about the Man U fiasco? Tifo Football has you covered (watch, runtime: 7:55).

???? ENTERPRISE RECOMMENDS

???? ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
(all times CLT)

Amazon Prime’s original series The Wilds, is well, wild: The series follows a group of teenage girls (played by a relatively unknown cast) headed to a fempowerment retreat in Hawaii that find themselves stranded on a deserted island following a plane crash. The girls are unaware that they have actually been placed there, under surveillance, as subjects of a social experiment, led by an academic that hopes to prove that women are better suited than men to run the world. The show is reminiscent of Lost but with a bit of Mean Girls and Pretty Little Liars thrown in for good measure. The series’ first season quietly debuted back in December 2020 to decent reviews.

Another wild twist for season 2: The Wilds’ second season (released in May 2022), dives deeper into psychological thriller territory with the introduction of a group of boys further down the island that have been subjected to the same experiment.

The Egyptian Premier League is heating up, with three games scheduled tonight: Al Ahly and El Gouna will face off while Pyramids play against Ismailia at 6:30 pm. Zamalek will play against Smouha at 9 pm.

Zamalek currently tops the league with 57 points from 25 games, followed by Pyramids with 53 points, and Al-Ahly with 48 points from 23 games.

????EAT THIS TONIGHT-

Mykonos on Sahel: Alexandria’s iconic White & Blue Greek seafood restaurant (aka the Greek Club) — famous for its picturesque view of quaint fishing boats — made its North Coast debut in Ghazala Bay, with the opening of White & Blue ‘By the Bay.’ The new restaurant has a few notable additions, including its own private beach where guests can spend the day and a resident DJ (of course ????). Tackiness aside, the main restaurant menu stays true to form with a selection of fresh seafood cooked the Greek way. We’re fans of the tarama (a traditional creamy pink dip, made from cured fish roe), a popular menu item carried over from Alexandria. A new addition to the menu, the phyllo-baked feta cheese with honey from the appetizers section has the perfect combination of flakey pastry and warm gooey cheese with the right amount of sweetness from the honey. The menu has something for everyone, catering even to those that are not seafood fans with classic Greek dishes like moussaka. The new branch marks the restaurant’s third location, after the second branch opened in New Cairo last September.

???? OUT AND ABOUT-
(all times CLT)

Not much happening today besides the West El Bald Festival which showcases Arab fine art at the Lamasat Gallery. The festival is ongoing until 26 July.

???? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman recounts her time as a fake violinist in her memoir, Sounds like Titanic. We’ve all heard of the expression “fake it till you make it.” Well, what if the people who will decide that you’ve made it, are fake as well? That’s what Hindman had to go through, basically, on her quest to be a violinist at a New York City orchestra. Turns out the leader of the ensemble pulled a Milli Vanilli-style scam where the orchestra would pretend to play music, while a CD blasts songs from the soundtrack of the film Titanic, with the audience none the wiser. The story of the hoax is interspersed with her take on why she kept on playing along, exploring themes of undeservingly achieving a childhood dream of being recognized in the music industry and a public (saturated at this point by reality TV) that respects fake excellence over genuine mediocrity.

And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you could probably pick up a cheaper copy as the Prime Day sale continues today.

???? GO WITH THE FLOW

The EGX30 fell 0.2% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 566 mn (31.6% below the 90-day average). Foreign investors were net sellers. The index is down 22.4% YTD.

In the green: Ibn Sina Pharma (+6.9%), Credit Agricole Egypt (+6.1%) and MM Group (+4.0%).

In the red: CIB (-1.9%), Housing & Development Bank (-1.5%) and Orascom Development Egypt (-1.3%).

industry

Enterprise Explains: How to set up a factory in Egypt: After years of a slow and unclear process for industrial licensing (and plenty of complaints from industry players), the Trade Ministry now has clear and streamlined procedures. The IDA and the ministry outline this process in a recently-released detailed guide (pdf) — starting from how to find available land plots, through to securing permits and compliance requirements, and getting operations started. Enterprise breaks down these steps and requirements into an even simpler guide, covering factories inside and outside industrial zones.

If you’re going to set up shop within an industrial zones:

#1- Acquiring land: The IDA lists available lands and industrial units on their website. Potential investors can submit a feasibility study of their project to the authority, which reviews the studies and allocates land plots to approved projects based on their criteria.

#2- Applying for a building permit: Investors need to appoint an engineering office to prepare the facility’s technical design, which includes which machines and equipment will be used, specifications of construction works, and a timetable for the project’s implementation. Another office will also need to be appointed to prepare an environmental proposal that shows the project’s impact on its surrounding. These documents are then submitted to the authority for review and approval.

#3- Construction phase: The authority will follow up on the progress of the construction and then grant a “certificate of occupancy” — which stands as evidence that the building complies with the plans and specifications that had been submitted. It’s also at this stage that electricity meters are converted to commercial meters in preparation for the installation and operation of production lines.

#4- Requesting an operating license: Once the facility is ready for operation, investors must apply for an operating license. If investors’ applications are complete, the IDA will issue a stamped copy of the application on the same day, which investors can use as an official license to immediately begin operations. The authority will separately send an inspector within 90 days to verify the facility’s compliance with technical requirements. If the facility is compliant, the IDA grants an indefinite operating license, and if not, investors are given 180 days to rectify the situation.

Documents required for an operating license: Upon submitting a request for an operating license, investors must also submit several documents to ensure their activities are up to code. These documents — aside from the license application form — include an authorized document from the commercial registry, official proof of membership in the Federation of Egyptian Industries, an ownership deed for the facility, the technical and environmental details documents, and a receipt of payment of service fees and any other administrative expenses. Applicants also need to submit a safety report if their manufacturing activities use chemicals, and proof of identity, or power of attorney documents if they are authorizing another person to act on their behalf.

When do you need to renew your operating license? Renewals for operation licenses are required if investors implement any expansions or material modifications that could change the specifications stated when granted the license. The IDA also requires renewals if the factory is being moved to another location, if the facility’s purpose is changing to produce something different than what it was initially licensed for, or in the event of any administrative changes to the facility (such as trade name or logo changes).

#5- Operations phase: After finishing all these steps, factories will operate normally but will be subject to periodic inspections conducted by the authority or through an authorized accreditation office.

If you’re looking to open up a factory outside an industrial zone: The phases of the process are more or less the same, but there are some differences in how to proceed with each step.

#1- Acquiring land: Investors should submit the necessary documents to the governorate where the project will be implemented. After receiving approvals from the governorate, investors should head to the nearest branch of the IDA or apply for approvals from the authority’s website.

#2- Applying for a building permit: Investors should also go to the governorate office to apply for a building permit, also appointing an engineering office to detail the same technical requirements as factories within industrial zones.

#3- Construction phase: The governorate will send an inspector to ensure that the project implementation is in line with what was submitted in the technical report and all production lines and machines were included in the engineering drawings. After approval, a certificate of occupancy will be issued.

#4- Requesting an operating license: The requirements and process here do not differ from factories inside industrial zones (which we detail above).

#5- Operations phase: After finishing all these steps, factories will operate normally but will be subject to periodic inspections conducted by the authority or through an authorized accreditation office.

PSA- Industrial activities that are classified as high-risk will face additional inspections: Industrial activities are classified as low-risk or high-risk depending on their impact on the environment. Low-risk industrial establishments’ operations do not pose a significant risk in terms of environment, health, security and safety based on the assessments outlined in the European Directive. These include manufacturing wood, clothing, and carpets. Meanwhile, high-risk industrial activities include slaughterhouses, oil and fats manufacturing, and ethanol-related industries. High-risk activities will be subject to a more thorough inspection process to ensure that there are no violations to environment, health, and safety requirements. In case of any violations, these companies will need to adhere to the 90-day deadline — with the option of requesting a 30-day extension — or risk losing their operating license.


Your top industrial development stories for the week:

  • We could soon see an Egyptian-Serbian trade agreement: The two countries are studying the possibility of concluding a bilateral trade agreement, under an MoU they signed to boost trade ties.
  • The CBE wants exporters to use Buna: The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) is calling on exporting companies to use the Arab Monetary Fund’s regional payment system Buna for cross-border bank transfers.

???? CALENDAR

OUR CALENDAR APPEARS in two sections:

  • Events with specific dates or months are right here up top
  • Events happening in a quarter or other range of time with no specific date / month appear at the bottom of the calendar.

JULY

July: A law governing ins. for seasonal contractors will come into effect.

23-25 July (Saturday-Monday): Egypt, UAE and Jordan discuss industrial partnership in Cairo.

24 July (Sunday): The government hosts public consultations on its state ownership policy document with healthcare players.

26 July (Tuesday): The government hosts public consultations on its state ownership policy document with pharma players.

26-27 July (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Reserve interest rate meeting.

28 July (Thursday): The government hosts public consultations on its state ownership policy document with experts and think tanks.

29 July (Friday): Aleph Commodities shareholder meeting to vote on potential merger with Tenaz Energy Corp.

30 July (Saturday): Islamic New Year.

Late July-14 August: 2Q2022 earnings season.

AUGUST

August: Work to extend the capacity of the Egypt-Sudan electricity interconnection to 600 MW to be completed.

August: Sharm El Sheikh will host the African Sumo Championship.

14 August (Sunday): Conference of Egyptian entities abroad.

16 August (Tuesday): MNHD’s general assembly meeting to decide whether to allow SODIC to go ahead with due diligence on its takeover bid.

18 August (Thursday): Central Bank of Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

SEPTEMBER

September: Naval Power, Egypt’s first naval defense expo

September: Central Bank of Egypt’s Innovation and Financial Technology Center to launch incubator for 25 fintech startups.

September: Egyptian-German Joint Economic Committee.

September: A delegation from Germany’s Aldi will visit Egypt to look at potential investments.

September: Government to launch an international promotional campaign for Egyptian tourism.

6-9 September (Tuesday-Friday): Gate Travel Expo 2022, El Kobba Palace, Cairo.

7-9 September (Wednesday-Friday): African Finance Ministers to meet in Cairo to coordinate an African-led position during COP27.

8 September (Thursday): European Central Bank monetary policy meeting.

18 September (Sunday): Deadline for brokerage firms, asset managers and financial advisors to register with the Egyptian Securities Federation.

20-21 September (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Reserve interest rate meeting.

22 September (Thursday): Central Bank of Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

26–27 September (Monday-Tuesday): The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) at the Cairo Marriott Hotel.

OCTOBER

October: Air Sphinx, EgyptAir’s low-cost subsidiary to commence operations.

October: Fuel pricing committee meets to decide quarterly fuel prices.

1 October (Saturday): Use of Nafeza becomes compulsory for air freight.

6 October (Thursday): Armed Forces Day, national holiday.

8 October (Saturday): Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, national holiday.

10-16 October (Monday-Sunday): World Bank and IMF annual meetings chaired by CBE Governor Tarek Amer, Washington, DC.

18-20 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Mediterranean Offshore Conference, Alexandria.

27 October (Thursday): European Central Bank monetary policy meeting.

Late October-14 November: 3Q2022 earnings season.

NOVEMBER

November: Cairo Water Week 2022.

1-2 November (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Reserve interest rate meeting.

3 November (Thursday): Central Bank of Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

3-5 November (Thursday-Saturday): Egypt Fashion Week.

4-6 November (Friday-Sunday): Autotech auto exhibition, Cairo International Exhibition and Convention Center.

6-18 November (Sunday-Friday): Egypt will host COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh.

7-13 November (Mon-Sun): The International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Squash Championships, New Giza.

21 November-18 December (Monday-Sunday): 2022 Fifa World Cup, Qatar.

DECEMBER

13-14 December (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Reserve interest rate meeting.

13-15 December (Tuesday-Thursday): US-Africa Leaders Summit.

15 December (Thursday): European Central Bank monetary policy meeting.

22 December (Thursday): Central Bank of Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

December: The Sixth of October dry port will begin operations.

JANUARY 2023

January EGX-listed companies and non-bank lenders will submit ESG reports for the first time.

January: Fuel pricing committee meets to decide quarterly fuel prices.

MAY 2023

22-26 May (Monday-Friday): Egypt will host the African Development Bank (AfDB) annual meetings in Sharm El Sheikh.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2H2022: The inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

2H2022: IEF-IGU Ministerial Gas Forum, Egypt. Date + location TBA.

2H2022: The government will have vaccinated 70% of the population.

3Q2022: Ayady’s consumer financing arm, The Egyptian Company for Consumer Finance Services, to release its first financing product.

End of 2022: e-Aswaaq’s tourism platform will complete the roll out of its ticketing and online booking portal across Egypt.

2023: Egypt will host the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in 2023.

**Note to readers: Some national holidays may appear twice above. Since 2020, Egypt has observed most mid-week holidays on Thursdays regardless of the day on which they fall and may also move those days to Sundays. We distinguish above between the actual holiday and its observance.

Enterprise is a daily publication of Enterprise Ventures LLC, an Egyptian limited liability company (commercial register 83594), and a subsidiary of Inktank Communications. Summaries are intended for guidance only and are provided on an as-is basis; kindly refer to the source article in its original language prior to undertaking any action. Neither Enterprise Ventures nor its staff assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, whether in the form of summaries or analysis. © 2022 Enterprise Ventures LLC.

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