CAIRO: Egypt’s economic growth rate is expected to reach 6 percent in the current fiscal year, despite challenges stemming from COVID-19, the country’s minister of planning and economic development said.

The expected result is driven by “the growth spurt of 9.8 percent that was achieved in the first quarter of the year, which is the highest growth rate in 20 years, as a result of which international institutions have raised their forecast for the Egyptian economy,” Hala Al-Saeed added.