ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the central “Public Private Partnership” intended to be the driving force behind Egypt’s national support for SMEs: The Social Fund for Development (SFD). Founded in 1991 to provide a “safety net” for smaller enterprises during the first round of Mubarak era reforms, the SFD’s mandate would be renewed during the second round with the Small Enterprise Law 141/2004, making it the chief agent for “SME support.” This chapter explores USAID’s push to commercialize microfinance activities and SFD’s role in the process; highlights the importance of connections for accessing SFD resources, which were used by the ruling party to strengthen patronage networks; and introduces the archetype of the quasi-governmental bureaucrat serving as SMEs’ interlocutors—along with voices of Egyptians seeking assistance—to shed light on the lived experience of the SFD.
