Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has appointed a new head of the country's key government financial watchdog agency, the Administrative Control Authority (ACA), a statement from the president's office said.

Mohamed Erfan Gamal, who has long served in several positions for the agency over almost two decades, replaces Mohamed Omar Heiba, who has filled the chair since late 2012.

Heiba was made an advisor to El-Sisi for anti-corruption affairs.

The Administrative Control Authority (ACA) is responsible for detecting administrative and technical breaches in state bodies and verifying enforcement of laws and regulations.

The president has affirmed to the newly-appointed head the importance of "identifying corruption in the country and confronting it proactively to prevent its occurrence," the statement read.