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

She considered this a "qualitative shift" in the management of the customs inspection and clearance system, with the goal of achieving sustainable development and boosting the national economy and reducing the customs release time.

Self-driven reformers among public service leaders and managers, committed to achieving breakthroughs and transformation, have always impressed me through every aspect of their initiatives, actions, and feedback. Colleagues from the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC) under the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade are true pioneers. They approached the Korean government to jointly conduct a feasibility study, aiming to produce policy recommendations for introducing a risk-based import/export cargo examination process at border points. Their tenacious pursuit of reducing processing time through an accurate AI-based algorithm has led to tangible cooperation between KOICA and GOEIC.

Both governments are now in the process of officially approving a joint project worth $11m, which is set to launch this year. The project aims to reduce the duration of customs inspections by half during its implementation period and is expected to boost trade and foster a favorable business climate in Egypt. I am confident that the GOEIC team, with strong support from the minister, will manage to reduce the time even further within a few years after the completion of the project.

Certainly, there have been and still are periods of challenges, waiting, unforeseen external factors, and untapped opportunities. However, I believe that Egypt and Korea will continue to cooperate and prosper together, as we are beginning to see positive signs of economic recovery, which could unlock new opportunities. We have built strong trust with the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which serve as the coordinating ministries of the Egyptian government for our work in the country. We still remember the warm hospitality and appreciation for our partnership shown by Prime Minister Madbouly, ministers, partner organisations, and colleagues during the historic first visit of the KOICA president to Egypt in November 2024, which marked the completion of the country’s first online public procurement system introduced with KOICA’s support in cooperation with the General Authority of Government Services (GAGS). 

I have cherished the heartfelt welcome and the spirit of kindness and care I encountered everywhere. I also deeply appreciate my KOICA Egypt Office team, who are capable, devoted, philanthropic, and humorous.

As I conclude my time in Cairo, I’d like to share a quote from the opening lines of the British writer Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, the age of wisdom, the epoch of belief, the season of light, and the spring of hope. We had everything before us.”

Alhamdulillah for everything, and inshallah, I will come back to the land of the Nile someday.