Kouchouk made his remarks during a meeting with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday to review the priorities and parameters of fiscal policy for the 2026/27 budget.
The country is expected to record an annual growth rate of 5.2 percent by the end of FY2025/2026, which concludes on 30 June 2026, Planning Minister Ahmed Rostom said during the weekly cabinet meeting last month.
The new year’s target aligns with IMF projections, according to a World Economic Outlook report update released in February.
The finance minister said the government seeks to allocate EGP 90 billion ($1.7 billion) to programs supporting economic activity and extend financial support to the energy sector, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
Kouchouk added that debt-service indicators are expected to improve significantly as the debt-to-GDP ratio continues to decline.
The minister said the budget also provides for substantial increases in health and education spending, teachers' salaries, and a real rise in public-sector wages tied to performance and exceeding inflation.
The meeting also addressed targeted growth rates, the primary surplus, primary expenditures and revenues, as well as the government's efforts to achieve fiscal balance, particularly in light of rising regional pressures and their economic fallout.
Kouchouk also noted that said the government is pressing ahead with its reform agenda to secure financial and economic stability and stimulate private-sector growth.
Additionally, he reaffirmed the government's commitment to sustaining production, manufacturing and exports through balanced fiscal policies, and noted the continuation of tax, customs and real-estate facilitation measures to ease burdens on citizens and investors.
For his part, President El-Sisi stressed the need to press on with comprehensive institutional reform aimed at ensuring fiscal discipline and sound governance through rationalized public spending, stronger revenues and reduced government debt.
He also called on the government to step up efforts to attract local and foreign investment and to maintain direct engagement with investment communities worldwide to communicate Egypt's economic measures and mitigate the impact of regional developments.
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