The Egyptian Ministry of Finance confirmed that the state succeeded in establishing an electronic system to track goods until the final customs release stage, for the first time in Egypt.
This was announced by the Head of Egypt’s Customs Authority El-Shahat Ghaturi during his participation in a seminar held on the sidelines of his visit to Moscow/
Ghaturi showcased the Egyptian experience in modernising and automating the country’s customs.
He sent a motivating message to the international business community that the customs administration system in Egypt is witnessing the largest development revolution during the era of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
He said that the new customs law provides the legislative cover for many global customs practices, as it gives legal authenticity to electronic documents.
He added that now customs with goods contracted with the modern e-commerce system, with the possibility of pre-clearance customs duties before the arrival of goods, and allowing the exchange of electronically secured information and data between the customs authority and state agencies.
He pointed out that an advanced risk management system is being implemented, in line with the latest global best practices.
“It will enter into actual implementation at the beginning of next year, which leads to the release of goods without inspection through the green path, in accordance with the established controls in order to simplify procedures and speed up customs release,” Ghaturi explained.
He added that the new law aims to encourage the national industry, reduce the cost of local production and maximise its competitiveness in global markets.
The new law allows the payment of customs duties in instalments, for equipment, devices, production lines and supplies that do not enjoy any exemptions or reductions in customs tariffs.
He pointed out that the new law consolidates the role of the authorised economic actor, which grants many advantages to companies committed to the so-called “white list”, explaining that in 2019, the implementation of the one-stop-shop was started by creating logistic centres at customs outlets.
At the time 88,000 customs declarations were put through this unified electronic platform, which rose to 619,000 customs declarations during 2021.
This system now covers 95% of Egypt’s imports and exports, and importers can submit documents electronically through a mobile application, and track goods until the final release stage as well.
Ghaturi said that more than 50,000 foreign exporters have been registered on the CargoX platform, 11,000 Egyptian importers have also been registered on the CargoX platform, and more than 80,000 ACI numbers have been issued so far.
