The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has extended a loan of $119.5mn (€109mn) to the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The EBRD funding is part of a potentially wider programme that will be implemented in different stages. It aims to diversify NBE’s funding base and support its financial inclusion plans in the region. The loan, which includes a B loan from the Netherlands-based asset manager ILX Fund, marks the first provided to a financial institution in Egypt with an A/B structure, and is poised to focus on unde…