During his visit to Alexandria Port, the Minister was accompanied by key officials: Dr. Tarek El-Houby, Head of the National Food Safety Authority, Engineer Essam El-Naggar, Head of the General Organization for Export and Import Control, Engineer Mohamed El-Gawsaky, Assistant Minister for Planning, Development, and Digital Transformation, Dr. Amany El-Wessal, Head of the Agreements and Foreign Trade Sector, and Abed Mahran, Advisor to the Minister for Promoting the Investment and Economic Competitiveness Climate.
The minister emphasized the critical need to continue
developing the customs clearance system, highlighting Cabinet Resolution No.
(19) from November 14, 2024. This resolution mandates round-the-clock
operations, seven days a week, for all customs clearance entities, including
weekends and holidays, through a shift system. This is the initial phase of a
comprehensive strategy aimed at slashing customs clearance time by up to 75%,
with a target of no more than two working days by the end of 2025.
The minister spotlighted 29 joint measures agreed upon by
the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Finance. These
measures focus on streamlining customs procedures, improving inspection
efficiency, and facilitating trade, ultimately reducing costs and time for
stakeholders. This is expected to significantly boost import and export
competitiveness for Egyptian products in global markets.
He underscored Egypt's strategic geographical position,
which must be leveraged effectively to achieve the national goal of ranking
among the top 50 global trading nations within two years and the top 20 by
2030. The Minister affirmed the unwavering support of the political leadership
for these reforms.
He stressed the necessity of seamless coordination between
the Ministry of Finance, the Customs Authority, the Ministry of Transport, and
all relevant bodies involved in customs clearance to collaboratively achieve
the development and reform objectives.
During the visit, Rear Admiral Ahmed Abdel Moaty Hawash,
Chairman of the Alexandria Port Authority, briefed the Minister on efforts to
maximize cargo handling rates. Alexandria Port achieved a record 74.5 million
tons of cargo handled in 2024, accounting for approximately 60% of Egypt's
foreign trade volume.
The Minister's tour included inspections of the logistics
center, joint inspection committee buildings at the "Tahya Misr"
multi-purpose terminal, the Alexandria Container and Cargo Handling Company,
and the "Nafeza" (National Single Window for Foreign Trade)
electronic system. He stressed the importance of accelerating digital
transformation, simplifying procedures, and ensuring their continuous
implementation to guarantee the uninterrupted flow of goods to and from
Egyptian markets with minimal time and cost.
Additionally, the Minister engaged with customs brokers and regulatory agency employees to gather their insights and suggestions, emphasizing the value of their feedback in enhancing system efficiency, serving stakeholders, and ensuring the quality of traded goods. He directed a swift review of proposed ideas, particularly those focused on simplifying procedures and reducing costs. He also advocated for establishing direct communication channels with stakeholders through joint working committees representing all relevant entities to develop practical and implementable solutions considering port operations, improving stakeholder experience, and increasing service satisfaction.