1st Edition

The Egyptian Economy, 1952-2000 Performance Policies and Issues

By Khalid Ikram Copyright 2006
    376 Pages
    by Routledge

    376 Pages
    by Routledge

    Interviews with former Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers along with previously unpublished analysis by the World Bank, IMF and USAID provide entertaining and interesting insights into Egypt's economic development policy during 1952 to 2000. Areas addressed include:

    * the performance of the Egyptian economy since 1950s
    * the factors that have facilitated or retarded economic performance
    * the Egyptian authorities approach to economic issues and policy-making
    * the chief questions that policy-makers will have to deal with in the next twenty years.

    Set apart by Khalid Ikram’s intimate knowledge of the Egyptian policy-makers this book presents a unique account of economic development and policy-making in Egypt during 1952 to 2000.

    1 Economic development and policymaking, 1952–73 2 Economic development and policymaking, 1973–87 3 Economic development and policymaking, 1987–2000 4 Growth, productivity, and structural change, 1960–2000 5 The external sector 6 The public finances 7 The financial sector and monetary policy 8 Labor force and employment 9 Poverty and income distribution 10 Toward sustainable growth: strategic and institutional issues

    Biography

    Khalid Ikram has worked within the Pakistan Government, World Bank, and more recently as an international consultant for the UNCTAD, OECD, GTZ, and the Asian Development Bank.

    'Ikram examines the long-term structural aspects of Egypt’s economy and of economic policy-making from 1952 to 2000. He first presents separate chronological accounts of economic development and policy making on the one hand and growth, productivity, and structural change on the other. He then presents individual chapters focused on balance of payments, foreign exchange, and other aspects of the external sector; public finances; the financial sector and monetary policy; labor force and employment; and poverty and income distribution. He concludes with an analysis of current strategic and institutional issue.' - Reference & Research Book News

    'The book deals in depth with numerous issues facing policy-makers and reviews a large technical literature. Ikran explains complex economic problems with exceptional eloquence, and while this is a book for economists, others will benefit by reading it.' - Paul Rivlin, Tel Aviv University, Middle East Journal

    "[Ikram] has written a clear, well-documented account of the fifty years since the 1952 Nasserist overthrow of the monarchy… The first chapters provide an excellent thumbnail sketch of how the economy was buffeted over those years… The last chapter, "Toward Sustainable Growth," is a tour de force chronicling the problems holding back Egyptian growth." Patrick Clawson, Middle East Quarterly - June 22, 2007

     

    'This book is an excellent contribution to our knowledge of changes in the economic policies adopted in Egypt over the period under review. I can think of no similar work that has tackled the status of the Egyptian macroeconomy with such deep analysis while reflecting on the internal political dimension, social aspects, and external influences of donors' - Ahmed F. Ghoneim, International Journal of Middle East Studies - November 2007