CAIRO — Egypt's central bank says the nation's foreign currency reserves have recorded their first rise since the uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak 15 months ago.
It said on its web site on Sunday the reserves stood at $15.21 billion by the end of April, an increase of $100 million over the previous month. Egypt's official news agency attributed the small rise to a partial recovery in tourism and reduced imports.
Egypt's foreign currency reserves declined by as much as $21 billion since the uprising, reflecting an economy that has been hit by near daily protests, greatly reduced revenues from tourism and a sharp fall in investment.
Egyptians choose a successor for Mubarak in a presidential election starting May 23-24.