90 percent of Egyptian imports and exports will be managed electronically by January 2021 in a bid to speed up customs clearance, increase trade flows, and improve Egypt’s ranking in the Logistical Performance Index, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said.
He said the project aims to move from a paper-based work environment to paper-free workplaces with the aim of simplifying customs procedures, shrinking the time required for the release of shipments, and reducing the cost of goods in the local market.
Logistics centers in Cairo as well as East and West Port Said are now operational, with Alexandria expected to follow suit next month, and Damietta and Dekheila in November and January respectively, he said.
Accelerated clearance times: Goods at customs are set to be cleared within three days or less at West and East Port Said and Ain El-Sokhna ports by the end of this year and at the rest of the country’s ports by 2021, the minister noted
He added that the government’s new one-stop-shop customs system should be operational in Egypt’s main ports by the end of June 2021.
In addition, a tracking unit has been implemented under the supervision of the Egyptian Customs Authority to check abandoned goods and hazardous material containers at ports and customs warehouses countrywide.
