Cairo: Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, held a meeting to review the measures for reforming the customs system and reducing smuggling. The meeting was attended by prominent officials, including Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, Minister of Industry and Transport; Ahmed Koshak, Minister of Finance; and other key figures from relevant ministries and authorities.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of developing the customs system to boost national export competitiveness and improve the business environment. Minister Ahmed Koshak outlined the customs reform plan, highlighting efforts to combat smuggling. The plan includes facilitating measures such as the installment of customs duties on production inputs, streamlining the pre-clearance system, and offering customs clearance benefits for companies on the white list and those in the economic operator programme.
The reform plan also aims to reduce customs release times, establish a guide for customs procedures, enable electronic payments, and allow companies to set up logistics service centers to boost transit trade. Additionally, the plan involves regulatory steps to monitor goods movement, review customs tariff categories, train customs staff, and expand licensing for customs warehouses.
Minister Koshak presented indicators of smuggling crimes detected in 2024 and proposed measures to curb smuggling at various outlets. Major General Essam El-Naggar reported on the first phase of facilitation measures in customs release times, highlighting the continuous work of authorities and the doubling of inspected shipments.
Dr. Amani El-Wassal presented measures by the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade to further reduce smuggling, detailing the steps to tighten customs procedures and monitor shipments. The Export and Import Control Authority launched an electronic portal in January 2024, offering digital services and simplifying registration processes for exporters and importers, as part of a broader digital transformation effort.