Project exports promotion council of india

Egypt country profile

Egypt at a glance
Full Name:	Arab Republic of Egypt
Capital:	Cairo
Area:	1,001,449 sq km (386,659 sq miles)
Population:	80,000,000
Currency:	Egyptian Pound (E£)
Religions:	94% Muslim, 6% Christian
Languages:	Arabic (official)
International organisations:	Arab League, OIC, UN, Arab Maghreb Union, Opec, IMF, WTO, IAEA
Head of state:	Interim leader Adly Mansour

Government

Under the Egyptian political system, the president appoints the prime minister and cabinet. The two chambers of Egypt’s parliament, the People’s Assembly (lower house) and the Shura Council (upper house), approve laws, but they lack the power to draft new ones themselves. Following widespread popular protests in January and February 2011, Egypt’s president of nearly 30 years, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down. Elections for parliament were held before elections for the presidency were carried out in 2012. Mohamed Mursi, a candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, was elected president of Egypt in June 2012.

The military performed the function of interim government while elections took place. Under the original plans, the military was to hand over power following the election of the president. However, in June 2012 Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court declared the results of the People’s Assembly unconstitutional. The parliament reconvened regardless.

Next elections

Parliamentary election:

2012/2013 – People’s Assembly (People’s Assembly members sit for five-year terms)

2016 (Shura Council members sit for six-year terms, but half the members stand for election every three years).

Economy

Egypt’s economy was making good progress in the years leading up to the revolution. The country weathered the global financial downturn well by global standards. The revolution changed this significantly. The interim military government tried to limit the impact of the unrest as much as possible, but with 18 months of political turmoil, damage was inevitable.

Foreign currency reserves were drained and the instability exacerbated unemployment. Egypt’s traditionally strong sectors of tourism and trade, in particular, suffered.

Egypt’s economy stalled in the first half of 2011, when the revolution was at its height with growth of just 0.3 per cent. In 2011 as a whole, Egypt’s economy expanded by 1.8 per cent. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to reach 1.5 per cent in 2012 and a further rise of 3.3 per cent in 2013.

At the end of March 2012, Egypt’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $15.1bn. It has been losing about $1.4bn every month since the revolution began in February 2011. Revenues are down 65 per cent since the start of the revolution and there is currently enough to cover to about three months of imports.

Telecoms

There are currently three mobile operators in Egypt. The largest in terms of connections is Mobinil, a joint venture between France Telecom and local outfit Orascom set up 12 years ago. Vodafone Egypt is the most profitable mobile operator. Etisalat Egypt, a subsidiary of the UAE telecoms giant, joined the market about two years ago and has the smallest market share with 14 million connections.

The number of mobile subscribers has increased rapidly in recent years. At the end of April 2010, there were 58.7 million subscribers in Egypt. The penetration rate, currently at 80 per cent, is relatively modest in comparison with other countries. Libya’s penetration rate is 135 per cent and Algeria’s is 90 per cent.

Egypt was the first country in the world to register a domain name (.misr) in Arabic.

Power

Demand for power is rising in Egypt. While the construction of several new power plants continued throughout the revolution and consequent period of uncertainty, others have been delayed. Projects that were approved before the revolution have gone ahead, but the number of new projects in the market has fallen and this could impact upon Egypt’s electricity supply in the coming years.

Pgesco, the body responsible for procuring new power plants, is tendering several projects, but power capacity is set to become increasingly stretched over time as demand growth is expected to outstrip installed capacity growth. In addition, Pgesco is in a period of transition, as its 40 per cent shareholder, Bechtel, is planning to sell its stake.

Egypt is a regional pioneer of renewable energy with several wind farms along the Gulf of Suez and a large-scale solar/gas hybrid plant in operation. Egypt plans to supply 20 per cent of its power needs from renewable resources by 2020.

12.0 PEPC : WORKING COMMITTEE MEMBERS-

CHAIRMAN
Shri Avinash C Gupta Chairman & Managing Director Technofab Engineering Ltd. Plot No.5 Sector 27 C Mathura Road Faridabad: 121003
VICE CHAIRMAN
Shri Rajan Malhotra Regional Manager Larsen & Toubro Ltd. IFCI Towers, 14^th Floor 61, Nehru Place New Delhi: 110019
MEMBERS : WORKING COMMITTEE
Shri V.C. Verma Executive Director Oriental Structural Engineers Pvt. Ltd 21, Commercial Complex Malcha Marg New Delhi 110 021.	Shri B. Seenaiah Managing Director BSCPL Infrastructure Ltd. 6-2-913/914, 5th Floor Progressive Towers, Khairatabad Hyderabad- 500004
Shri Abhijit Rajan Chairman & Managing Director Gammon India Ltd Gammon House Veersavarkar Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai – 400 020	Shri Mohan Dass Saini CEO (Construction Division) Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd. SP Centre 41/44 Minoo Desai Marg Colaba, Mumbai: 400005
Shri Arun Karambelkar President & Whole Time Director Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd. Hincon House Lal Bhadur Shastri Marg Vikhroli (West), Mumbai-400 083	S Shri Abhay Sancheti Managing Director SMS Infrastructure Ltd. 267, Ganesh Phadnavis Bhavan Near Triangular Park, Dharampeth Nagpur-440010
Shri Mohinder Singh Saini Chairman Mokul Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. 16-D, Basant Lok Vasant Vihar New Delhi-110057	S Shri R.N. Yadav Managing Director U.P. Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Ltd. Vishweshwariya Bhawan Gomto Nagar Lucknow-226010
INSTITUTIONS
Shri S.K. Sharma Deputy Secretary, EP(OP) Department of Commerce Ministry of Commerce & Industry,Govt. Of India Udyog Bhawan New Delhi- 110 011
Shri Prabhat Kumar Joint Secretary (ES & ITP) Ministry of External Affairs Room No. 3057, A Wing, 3^rd Floor Jawahar Lal Nehru Bhawan, Janpath New Delhi - 110003
Smt. Rashmi Fauzdar Chief General Manager Reserve Bank Of India Foreign Exchange Deptt. Trade Division Amar Building, 5^th Floor Mumbai 400 023. Email: [e-mail]
Shri Sunil Joshi DGM & BM, ECGC of India Ltd., Project Export Branch The Metropolitan (7^th Floor), Plot No. C26/27, Bandra Kurla Complex Mumbai-400051
Shri Sriram Subramaniam Dy. General Manager Exim Bank Of India Ground Floor, Statesman House 148 Barakhamba Road New Delhi 110001 23326625, 23326254, 233221622, 23321742, 23721393Extn.211 Fax: [phone] E-Mail: [e-mail]
EX-OFFICIO MEMBER SECRETARY
Shri S.K. Sharma Deputy Secretary, Deptt.of Commerce & Executive Director Project Exports Promotion Council Of India

13.0 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

There is no specific scheme to promote the exporting firms in the country.    However, some assistance is provided to exporters under Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme and Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme.    Other schemes for export promotion include Duty Neutralisation Schemes like DEPB, Advance Licence, duty concession schemes like EPCG and Reward Schemes like Served from India, Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojana, Focus Market Scheme and Focus Product Scheme.

These schemes are reviewed periodically and necessary corrective measures are taken.
ANNEXURE-I

4.1 market development assistance (mda) scheme

Export Promotion Assistance given by Government

The Government of India encourages Indian project/product exporters by providing financial assistance under the following export promotion assistance schemes:

1. 
   Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme
   
2. 
   Scheme for Export Promotion by Small Scale Manufacturers
   
3. 
   Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme
   

MARKET DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (MDA) SCHEME

Under this scheme assistance is given to individual exporters for participation in following export promotion activities abroad

• 
  Trade Delegations
  
• 
  BSMs
  
• 
  Trade Fairs/Exhibitions
  

Eligibility Criteria/Conditions

1. 
   Exporting companies with an f.o.b. value of exports of upto Rs. 30 crore in the preceding year. No such ceiling is applicable for participation in Focus LAC region.
   
2. 
   The exporter should have complete 12 months membership with concerned EPC etc
   
3. 
   Assistance would be permissible on travel expenses by air, in economy excursion class fair and/or charges of the built up furnished stall. This would, however, be subject to an upper ceiling mentioned in the table per tour.
   

S No. (1)	Area/Sector (2)	No. of visits (3)	Maximum Financial ceiling per event (4)
1.	Focus LAC	1	Rs. 2,50,000
2.	FOCUS AFRICA ( including WANA Countries)	1	Rs. 2,00,000
3.	FOCUS CIS	1	Rs. 2,00,000
4.	FOCUS ASEAN+2	1	Rs. 2,00,000
5.	General Areas	1	Rs. 1,50,000*
	TOTAL	5

SCHEME FOR EXPORT PROMOTION BY SMALL SCALE MANUFACTURERS

There is a separate scheme designated as Marketing Development Assistance for SSI Exporters meant to encourage small scale manufacture exporters along the following lines:

(A) Exporters eligible for assistance:

(i) Exporting unit must be registered as SSI / SSSBE.

(ii) Exporting unit must be a member of FIEO / EPC.

(iii) Exporting units with aggregate exports of Rs. 2 crores and above over the last three financial years (Rs. 1 crore for ISO 9000 certified exporters) are eligible for assistance from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry through EPCs/other grantee organisations. SSI units with aggregate exports less than this limit would now be eligible for direct assistance from the Office of DC(SSI) under this scheme. SSI units which have not yet commenced exports are not eligible for assistance.

(iv) An exporting unit would be eligible for assistance under SSI-MDA only once in a financial year.

(B) Activities eligible for financing

(i) Individual participation in overseas fairs/exhibitions.

(ii) Individual overseas study tours/as member of a trade delegation going abroad.

(iii) Production of material for overseas publicity.

(C) Permissible binding limits:

90% of cost of return ticket by economy class subject to an upper ceiling of Rs.60,000/- (Rs. 90,000/- for Latin American countries). In case excursion fare is cheaper than economy class fare, the excursion fare will be considered.

(ii) 25% of the cost of production of publicity material limited to Rs.15,000/- in a financial year.

(D) Other conditions:

(i) Assistance shall be available for travel by one permanent employee/director/partner/proprietor of the SSI unit in economy class by Air India. Air travel by airlines other than Air India would be permissible provided that their economy class airfare is not higher than Air India.

(ii) Applications must reach the Office of the DC(SSI) at least one month before the start of the event in question.

(iii) The SSI unit should not have been charged/prosecuted/debarred/ blacklisted under the export and import policy or any other law relating to export and import business.

Total MDA assistance under SSI-M[DA scheme shall be inclusive of MDA assistance received from all Government Bodies/FIEO/EPCs/Commodity Boards/Grantee Organiations etc.

ANNEXURE-II

MARKET ACCESS INITIATIVE (MAI) SCHEME
The scheme is formulated on focus product- focus country approach to evolve specific strategy for specific market and specific product through market studies/survey. Assistance would be provide to Export Promotion Organizations/ Trade Promotion Organizations / Exporters etc. for enhancement of export through accessing new markets or through increasing the share in the existing markets. Under the Scheme the level of assistance for each eligible activities has been fixed.
The following activities will be eligible for financial assistance under the Scheme :

• 
  Research studies consistent with the priorities;
  
• 
  WTO Studies for evolving WTO compatible strategy;
  
• 
  To support EPCs/Trade Promotion Organistions in undertaking market studies/survey for evolving proper strategies.
  
• 
  To support marketing projects abroad based on focus product - focus country approach. Under marketing projects, the following activities will be funded:
  
  • 
    Opening of Showrooms
    
  • 
    Opening of Warehouses
    
  • 
    Display in international departmental stores
    
  • 
    Publicity Campaign and Brand Promotion
    
  • 
    Participation in Trade Fairs, etc., abroad
    
  • 
    Research and Product Development
    
  • 
    Reverse visits of the prominent buyers etc. from the project focus countries
    
  • 
    Export Potential Survey of the States;
    
  • 
    Registration charges for product registration abroad for pharmaceuticals, bio-technology and agro-chemicals;
    
  • 
    Testing charges for engineering products abroad;
    
  • 
    To support Cottage and handicrafts units;
    
  • 
    To support Recognized associations in industrial clusters for marketing abroad
    

Details of approved purposes for the scheme and level of assistance

Activity	Assistance	Maximum Assistance
Market Study	75% of the total cost However, for studies assigned by the D/Commerce for the cause of export promotion, 100% assistance would be provided	Rs.75.00 lakh/each study
Opening of Showrooms and Warehouses	75%, 50% and 25% of leasing / rental charges in the first, second and the third year, respectively	Rs. 50.00 lakh for each market/ product per annum.
Display in International Departmental Stores	50% of rental charges of display space	Rs. 50.00 lakh per annum/each product
Publicity Campaign	50% assistance for two years in a particulr market	Rs. 50.00 lakh per annum/ per market
Participation in Trade Fairs, BSMs etc. abroad	2/3 rd of the actual expenditure. The expenditure on TA/DA would be met by each participant.	Rs. 50.00 lakh for each fair

N.B.: More specific details can be obtained on request.

ANNEXURE-III