الهيئة العامة للرقابة المالية

Dr. Mohamed Farid:

• The Authority prioritizes disciplined growth, financial stability and stakeholder protection in non-bank financial markets.
• Empowering human resources through continuous qualification in these markets drives sustainable development and achieves significant impact.
• Technology and sustainability are fundamental pillars for strengthening the sector’s role in the national economy.
• Our goal is to establish an attractive environment that empowers financing and investment through a diverse range of non-bank financial services
• We are streamlining regulations by removing burdens while safeguarding market stability, discipline and transaction integrity to facilitate all stakeholders.
• We are continuously developing listing rules to empower diverse economic entities to pursue financing and expansion opportunities through the sector.
• SPACs represent a non-traditional tool to empower entrepreneurs and streamline their access to growth and expansion.
• The regulated voluntary carbon market offers an innovative mechanism to bolster carbon neutrality goals, with a strong focus on integrity and transparency.
• To democratize investment and enhance financial access through technology, crowdfunding platforms are being developed, leveraging real estate and equity fund models with plans to include fixed-income instruments.
• We continuously aim to provide innovative financing, investment and insurance solutions and facilitate their access to achieve comprehensive inclusion.

Dr. Mohamed Farid, FRA Chairman participated in an interview with James Duncan, Head of Government and External Affairs for the Middle East and Africa at Bloomberg. This interview took place during “Bloomberg Discovery Series” which is part of a broader initiative involving a series of events across several African nations. These events are designed to foster discussion and the exchange of insights among experts in various economic sectors, with a particular emphasis on understanding the global economic perspective from a local standpoint.

The discussion during the interview centered on the challenges inherent in capital market investment and the pivotal role of regulatory reforms in fostering market development. Key areas of focus included promoting digital transformation, enhancing human capital skills and introducing innovative financial instruments such as Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) and crowdfunding. These initiatives are geared towards promoting broader investment participation and protecting the interests of all stakeholders. Additionally, it explored avenues for strengthening the contribution of non-bank financial institutions to sustainable finance. Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance attended the event, along with notable leaders from the private sector’s financial and economic spheres.

Dr. Farid stated that the disciplined growth and financial stability of non-bank markets, alongside safeguarding the rights of stakeholders, are among the foremost key objectives of the Authority in the upcoming period. He emphasized that this will be achieved not only through development, growth and regulation but also by adopting a flexible regulatory approach, namely “Risk-Based Supervision.” This approach contributes to strengthening the levels of financial stability within the markets and ensures the protection of stakeholders’ rights.

He added that the Authority is currently working on finalizing the continuous development of listing rules to assist companies in exploring financing and expansion opportunities and to achieve growth rates that encourage companies to list and offer shares on the stock exchange.

In this context, FRA Chairman affirmed that the Authority has finalized its ongoing efforts to develop listing rules. This includes regulating the operations of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) to enable startups to access financing from the equity market in support of entrepreneurship. The development included introducing flexible provisions and simplified rules for SPACs and adding the merger acquisition method alongside share swap and credit balance acquisitions to diversify alternative acquisition mechanisms and help them achieve their targets. Furthermore, it includes allowing the trading of subscribers’ shares in a SPAC’s capital increase at the subscription price, which represents fair value, while also allowing trading of SPAC shares for public after acquisition is completed.

This initiative led to the listing of the first (SPAC) with an initial capital of 10 million Egyptian pounds, which subsequently increased to 235 million Egyptian pounds through qualified investors. Dr. Farid highlighted that this development is a key component of the non-traditional financing solutions designed to empower and support entrepreneurs in obtaining the necessary capital for their growth and expansion.

Furthermore, Dr. Farid emphasized that technology, sustainability and development of human capital are fundamental to the sustainable growth of non-bank financial markets. Consequently, the Authority has focused on finalizing the legislative and regulatory infrastructure for digital transformation. This has paved the way for the introduction of innovative products that allow both companies and individuals to expand their operations and invest their capital through various fintech applications. This is a direct outcome of legislative and regulatory actions, specifically Law No. 5 of 2022 regarding the regulation and development of the use of financial technology in non-bank financial activities and FRA Board of Directors’ Resolutions No. 139, 140, and 141 of 2023.

Seven companies have applied for registration as financial technology outsourcing service providers. Of these, four are already registered and collaborating with around 84 non-banking financial firms on their digital transformation. Three more companies are in the final stages of registration with the Authority. In a push for fintech innovation, the Authority has approved the establishment of four fintech startups. Demonstrating the sector’s embrace of digital solutions, fourteen existing companies have applied to transition to digital service delivery and applications from seven more fintech startups in various non-bank financial areas are currently being evaluated.

Dr. Farid further clarified that continuously qualifying professional cadres and enhancing their technological proficiency are now essential for keeping pace with market changes and achieving targets, thereby ensuring the sustainable impact of these reforms. He emphasized that without this, achieving financial, investment and insurance inclusion becomes significantly more challenging.

He further stated that the Authority has revised the regulations, controls and investment limits applicable to the funds held by private insurance funds and insurance companies. This has, for the first time, broadened investment opportunities to include a more diverse range of options compared to previous regulations. These encompass precious metals certificates or any metal-backed securities or financial instruments traded on Egyptian exchanges, equity mutual funds as well as venture capital funds and private equity funds operating within Egypt.

The Authority has also mandated that insurance companies allocate at least 2.5% of their paid-up to open-ended equity funds listed on the Egyptian Exchange Additionally, it requires companies to allocate 5% of their invested funds to commodity and precious metal funds or any metal-backed securities or financial instruments traded on Egyptian exchanges. Furthermore, it directs life insurance companies to allocate a maximum of 10% of their invested funds and property and liability insurance companies a maximum of 5%, to real estate mutual funds.

This comes within the framework of implementing the Unified Insurance Law, issued in July 2024 and aims to broaden the scope of insurance coverage to include various individuals and segments of society. The law entrusts the Authority’s Board of Directors with setting the rules, controls and procedures that regulate the sector’s performance.

He pointed out that the Authority’s launch of the first regulated and supervised voluntary carbon market overseen by capital market regulators. This market facilitates trading of carbon credits, directly supporting Egypt’s initiatives to lower carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. The Authority’s database already includes approximately 28 registered projects from India, Oman, Bangladesh, and Egypt. He further noted that around 5,000 voluntary carbon credits have already been traded, with 170,000 carbon credits registered within the Authority’s database.

He highlighted that Egypt’s journey towards sustainability in the non-bank financial sector began many years ago, making Egypt a global leader and the first in the Middle East and North Africa region to provide a mandatory framework for preparing reports on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

This was achieved through the Authority’s clear guidelines and regulations for preparing reports that consider ESG and TCFD standards, which have become a key reference for companies to disclose their sustainability-related practices.

FRA Chairman highlighted that the Authority’s Board resolution  No. 107 of 2021 requires non-bank financial institutions with an issued capital or net equity of at least 100 million Egyptian pounds to include ESG disclosures in their annual board report accompanying their financial statements. Furthermore, companies with an issued capital or net equity of 500 million Egyptian pounds or more must provide both ESG and TCFD disclosures in their annual board report accompanying their financial statements.

Dr. Farid also shed light on the Authority’s Board resolution No. 108 of 2021, which specifies the disclosure requirements for companies listed on the Egyptian Exchange concerning their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices related to sustainability and the financial impacts of climate change. This resolution mandates that all listed companies include ESG disclosures in their annual board report, which is attached to their financial statements.

FRA Chairman elaborated that the Authority is in the final stages of establishing specific regulations for crowdfunding within the real estate fund and equity sectors. This development followed the completion of fintech legislative and regulatory frameworks  which paved the way for the launch of innovative products enabling companies and individuals to develop their businesses and invest their fund.

Recognizing the increasing investment interest of individuals in this sector, the Authority is proactively working to provide an investment tool that expands ownership under a regulatory framework prioritizing the protection of transacting parties and the efficiency of service providers. This initiative follows several listening sessions with relevant stakeholders to understand the activity thoroughly, alongside a study of regulatory frameworks and international best practices, with the aim of potentially extending its use to other economic and investment sectors in subsequent phases.