Egypt growth to be 'easily north of 4 percent' in 2014-15: finance minister

Egypt can expect economic growth "easily north of 4 percent" in fiscal year 2014-15, which ends in June, boosted by rising confidence and a windfall from lower oil prices, its finance minister said on Friday.

Hani Dimian also told Reuters in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the budget deficit for this year would fall to between 10 and 10.5 percent of gross domestic product, down from 12.5 to 12.6 percent in 2013-14.

"It's a bit early to give an exact number for growth rates because we've only seen first quarter figures. But the signals for Q2 are also positive. That is why ... we're revising our growth rate from 3.8 percent, which was published in March 2014, and we're going to be easily north of 4 percent," Dimian said.

"If you look at the boosters of that growth, you find that manufacturing is coming back, telecommunication and construction and partially early signs of the return of tourism," he said.