Arab Republic of Egypt Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade General Organization for Export and Import Control

The project aims to streamline the procedures of the imported goods inspection in Egypt and bolster Egypt's competitiveness in the Global Trade.

Signing the AGREEMENT was witnessed by Lee Myung-shin, Deputy Regional Director of KOICA, Egypt Office, Eng. Essam El-Naggar, Chairman of the GEOIC, Dr. Mai Hassab El-Nabi, Assistant Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade for Development Projects, International Relations, and Political Communication, and Dr. Iman Fakhry, from the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation.

Wael Mohamed Ahmed, Head of the Central Administration for Information Systems and Digital Transformation, and Dr. Alaa Negm, Director General of the GOEIC's Strategic Management.

The project is scheduled to be implemented between 2025 and 2029. It will include several components, including the construction and operation of the digital system for the GOEIC's risk-based inspection system for non-food industrial goods (e-RBI), the construction and operation of a digital Laboratories Information Management System (LIMS) for GOEIC's entire laboratories, in addition to establishing and operating a digital tracking system for industrial goods products in the domestic market.

 Deputy Regional Director of KOICA, Egypt Office stated "I believe this project will significantly enhance Egypt's trade facilitation capabilities, fostering economic growth and sustainability, and the Cooperation with the (GOEIC) represents a crucial step toward a more efficient and competitive trade environment in Egypt."

On her part, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, emphasized that this project is a complementary step to the coordination efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, in cooperation with all relevant parties, to enhance making use of the Korean grant resources with the aim of supporting the Egyptian government's plans for digital transformation and promoting comprehensive and sustainable development. Through the Digital Platform for Risk-based Inspection and Tracking, targeted national efforts are supported, and trade flow is facilitated and developed through digital transformation. She emphasized the importance of the project in enhancing competitiveness by accelerating processes of inspection and customs clearance, in such way that reduces the administrative obstacles and ensures compliance with International Standards in Foreign Trade.

Eng. Hassan El Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, pointed out that this project comes within the framework of implementing the state's vision for ports governance and accelerating, streamlining, and reducing the cost and time of conformity assessment procedures for goods at ports, with the aim of reducing release times to achieve global standards, while tightening control over the circulation, import, and export of poor-quality goods, and in implementation of Egypt's international obligations under the "Trade Facilitation Agreement of the World Trade Organization" regarding the implementation of integrated systems for risk management in cross-border trade.

Eng. Essam El-Naggar, Chairman of the GOEIC, also praised the Korean government's support for the project, which will contribute to the implementation of a modern and integrated system for monitoring industrial goods imports, including market surveillance, similar to what is implemented in developed countries.

It's worth noting that KOICA is a Korean Government Agency affiliates to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that implements grant aid programs aimed at combating poverty and supporting sustainable socio-economic growth in developing countries.

KOICA's Egypt Office, established in 1998, provides technical and technological education for youth, and supports the digitization of government services and systems, and implements programs to combat gender-based violence, empower women, and support vulnerable groups.