Egypt is in desperate need for cash

The Egyptian government has almost finished its economic reform plan and will present it to International Monetary Fund representatives as soon as next week, said a government minister, in a long-delayed bid to secure a much needed $4.8 billion loan.
Ashraf Al Arabi, Egypt's minister of planning and international cooperation, told reporters on Thursday that the government will invite the IMF "within days" to discuss details of the loan and that he was "optimistic" that the advance could be secured.
Egyptian policymakers and investors say Egypt is in desperate need of the cash to avert an impending liquidity crisis and to patch a gaping budget deficit.