The Central Bank of Egypt is weighing tougher regulations on foreign-exchange dealers, part of a broader effort to crack down on the black market and to end a hard currency shortage that’s impeding economic growth. The bank wants to reduce the number of foreign-exchange bureaus from more than 140 and introduce measures to improve transparency, said a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named because they’re not authorized to speak to the media. Central bank Governor Tarek Amer declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg. Officials have said speculation is partly responsible for the weakening of the local currency on the black market, contributing to the dollar shortage. A crackdown on currency traders has been widely predicted in Egyptian media. On Sunday, the Al-Shorouk daily reported that some bureaus may temporarily halt operations to avoid making losses from trading at the official price. (Bloomberg)