Sisi, a former military general who took office in 2014, has promised to revive the economy, which has struggled since a 2011 uprising scared away investors and tourists, Egypt's main sources of foreign currency. The military's activities have appeared to expand over the last year. Armed forces vans roam the country selling cheap groceries and military retail outlets have popped up, while military agencies have attempted to procure basic commodities from international traders amid shortages. Sisi said the armed forces are not entering the economy to profit or compete with the private sector, and that their projects are subject to taxes and regulatory oversight. He added that the military would deliver 1,350 projects by 2018 but did not specify their exact nature.

Source: Egypt Independent October 25, 2016 21:11 UTC