Analysts and bankers said that most of the Suez Canal certificates of deposits due on September 4 will not be withdrawn from banks after their due date. They will instead be reinvested in new certificates because the certificate holders are wary of taking risks.
In 2014, the Suez Canal Authority made more than EGP60 billion (USD3.61 billion) from issuing investment certificates for Egyptians for five years with a revenue of 12 percent end of 2016 to around 15.5 percent.
The revenue was invested in building the new Suez Canal and a number of tunnels.
Back then, Egypt permitted the purchase of investment certificates for Egyptians only by individuals, companies and authorities, such as funds.
Mona Mostafa, director of trading at Arabeya Online, told Reuters that 80 percent of due certificates in September would be linked to new certificates because most of the subscribers of Suez Canal certificates are clients of banks and not adventurous investors.
Egypt announced in August 2014 plans to set up the new Suez Canal in addition to the current canal under a project worth several billions of American dollars. The project aims to expand trade along the fastest route of navigation between Europe and Asia.
Egyptian officials hope the new canal would push annual revenues to USD13.5 billion by 2023 from more than USD5 billion.
The Suez Canal was inaugurated in 1869, and its length is around 160 km. It is the shortest maritime route between Asia and Europe. The canal is Egypt’s largest income source of hard currency alongside tourism, gas and oil exports and workers’ transfers from abroad.
Further, Suez Canal revenues reached USD5.7 billion in 2018, rising from USD5.3 billion in 2017.
