A bold and far reaching initiative to invigorate smaller businesses is needed. The time to act is now. Government is focused on the business environment for smaller firms. International financial institutions will be working with banks to expand access to capital. However, international experience has shown these interventions are not sufficient to invigorate smaller businesses and to achieve the desired economy-wide impact and scale required in Egypt for economic recovery and growth.
Large business has a critical role to play. Mentoring and engaging with smaller business on a large scale can catalyze graduation of firms to productive, profitable, and innovative businesses that can play their critical role in the economy.
What can large Egyptian businesses do to better develop and integrate small and medium enterprises? How can smaller firms become better suppliers, distributors and exporters? What incentives and institutions would create a market that allows smaller firms to grow?
