While Egypt faces hard economic conditions, Egyptians may rely on credit cards to meet their needs, Nesma Nowar reports Shortly after the end of the Egyptian revolution, the country has witnessed a growing wave of unrest in which strikes by state employees have spread across Egypt. This has negatively affected the economic conditions and productivity igniting a state of instability and fear in all sectors. The revolution has resulted in many citizens losing their jobs, especially in tourism, and raised concerns over the country's economic future. "No one is sure if he will get his salary next month," said Khaled Mohamed, a state employee. He explained that the current economic conditions are very critical and would have been worse had the turmoil continued. As a result, many citizens started depending on their credit cards to meet their needs. "People use VISA debit cards as they are either low on cash or are afraid to carry any," Mohamed said. According to one customer service employee at one of the banks, demand over credit cards has significantly increased post the revolution in comparison with the preceding period. "Every two days I receive customers who want credit cards," the employee said. Nonetheless, she said, she also receives customers who want to close their credit card accounts. The employee explained that people demanding the closure of their cards might be afraid of increasing their indebtedness especially these days where nothing is guaranteed. One source at Crédit Agricole bank said that due to the current circumstances, the bank had to freeze credit cards which were made without an income proof. He added that no significant impact of the current circumstances on using credit cards can be observed. "Using credit cards is more related to a person's manner rather than a certain situation. Some people prefer to use it while others do not," he said. Meanwhile, the source pointed out that credit cards and ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) have proved to be very important during the past period throughout the closure of banks. "Credit cards could be very important to some people these days," he noted. Asking at one of the commercial shops in Mohandessin area, the shop employee said that all people are buying with credit cards. He said that before the revolution, transactions were carried out by cash and credit cards, but that after the revolution, people heavily relied on credit cards to buy stuff. Visa, the payment card industry, has enjoyed relationships with Egyptian banks since the early 1990s and set up operations in the country in 2002. Since the launch of its operations, the payment card industry in Egypt has grown to 10 million cards. "In an ever-changing world, and in light of the current situation in Egypt, we believe digital currency is the only way to economic and societal progress," Tarek El-Husseini, general manager for Visa, North West Africa told Al Ahram Weekly. He added that during the events of late January and early February, VisaNet, Visa's robust technology platform, continued to work and ensured that people had access to their funds through functioning ATMs and at point-of-sale systems throughout the country.
