Ismail Gaber, chairperson of the Industrial Development Authority (IDA), said that the state cannot ban the importation of any goods, as this opposes the laws regulating international trade and Egypt’s commitment to foreign trade agreements.
Gaber considered the business practice report, which is issued annually by the World Bank, as one full of political dimensions.
During his recent meeting with the members of the tax and customs committee in the American Chamber, headed by Hassan Hegazy, he said that decision No. 43 for year 2016 aims to ensure the quality of the imported products and goods, adding that before making the decision, the IDA contacted the World Trade Organization. “All we want is to protect our markets,” he added.
Gaber said that the business results reports do not reflect the reality, as they mainly depend on the opinion of the private sector, which is not necessarily considered right. These reports also do not contain the opinion of the government. “Yes, we have many problems and lots of bureaucracy. There are eight ministries working in ports, and there are laws being implemented since they were passed in the 1940s; however, development cannot be expected to happen overnight,” he added.
He explained that the IDA is working on facilitating the work of companies; however, there are major companies that sometimes make mistakes through providing incomplete data and documents, which delays the entering of their products. He pointed out that the authority expects an increase in recording import cards an increase in recording import cards during this period.
Moreover, 22 December was set as a date to settle the conditions of companies with amendments taking part in the importers record law.
