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

Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, launched the electronic portal and automated system project for the services of the Environmental Validation and Verification Unit and the specialized Conformity Units at the GOEIC, within the framework of joint cooperation between the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, with the participation of Microsoft, and implementation by Interact Technology Solutions.

This took place in the presence of Engineer Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry, Engineer Mahmoud Badawi, representing Engineer Raafat Hindi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Essam El-Naggar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the GOEIC, a number of heads of relevant authorities and bodies, representatives of partner companies in implementing the project, and representatives of the business community.

The Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade affirmed that the launch of the project comes in implementation of the directives of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, to continue efforts toward digital transformation, develop the state’s administrative apparatus, simplify government procedures, improve the investment climate, and raise the efficiency of services provided to investors, exporters, and importers.

The minister pointed out that the project also comes in light of the continuous follow-up by the State of Dr. Mustafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, on the files of facilitating trade, reducing the time of procedures, and enhancing coordination between the concerned authorities, which will positively reflect on the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy and support the state’s objectives in increasing exports and attracting more investments.

Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh explained that the project represents an important institutional step in the path of developing the infrastructure that supports foreign trade, by providing environmental validation, verification, and conformity services through a more efficient and transparent digital system, contributing to facilitating the business community’s access to the services, improving the procedures quality, providing accurate data that supports decision-making, and reducing procedural and operational burdens.

The minister added that the project will not be limited to being a technical development or automation of existing procedures, but rather it reflects a broader institutional orientation towards providing more disciplined government services that are responsive to the needs of investors, exporters and those dealing with the foreign trade system, stressing that the digital transformation in conformity and environmental verification services has become an important element in enhancing the confidence of foreign markets in the Egyptian product, and supporting the ability of Egyptian exports to access international markets.

Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh indicated that global trade is witnessing accelerating transformations towards sustainability, green economy, reducing emissions, and adhering to environmental and technical standards. This makes the development of environmental verification, certification, and conformity services an essential necessity to support Egyptian companies in dealing with new international requirements, especially in markets that adopt more advanced environmental standards.

The minister stressed that certificates and services related to conformity and environmental verification are no longer just regulatory procedures, but have become competitive tools that enhance the reliability of the Egyptian product and support its presence in global markets, noting that the state is working on building a modern system that links digital transformation, trade facilitation, sustainability, and increasing exports.

The Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade pointed out that the project integrates with Egypt’s commitment to implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement since joining the agreement in 2019, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 553 of 2018, and the associated reforms that target raising the efficiency of the procedures, facilitating cross-border trade, and enhancing transparency in government services related to investments and foreign trade.

He added that the new system aims to provide an organized digital path for submitting applications and following up on procedures related to the services of the Environmental Validation and Verification Unit and the specialized conformity units, which will contribute to reducing time, effort and cost for the business community, improving the quality of service, and enhancing the GOEIC's ability to provide more regular and clear services.

Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh praised the fruitful cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in supporting digital transformation projects inside the government agencies, stressing that this cooperation reflects a practical model of integration between the State's institutions, through combining the technical and supervisory expertise of the GOEIC, and the digital and technological capabilities of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

The minister also appreciated Microsoft’s role as a technology partner in the project, and the expertise it provides in the field of digital solutions. He also praised the role of Interact Technology Solutions, the entity implementing the project, in developing the digital system in line with the nature of the services provided and the needs of its customers.

The Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade confirmed that the Egyptian state is proceeding in the development of a faster and more transparent government services system that relies on modern technology, supports the business community, and works to transform government procedures into an enabling element for economic activity, stressing that every service that can be automated represents a new step towards a clearer, more stable and attractive business environment for investment.

On his part, Engineer Essam El-Naggar, President of the GOEIC, affirmed that launching the electronic portal and the automated system represents a qualitative leap in developing the GOEIC's services related to environmental validation, verification ,and conformity, noting that the GOEIC is working on keeping pace with the State’s strategic directions in digital transformation, improving the quality of services, and enhancing transparency and governance, in a way that serves the business community and supports foreign trade.

President of the GOEIC explained that the project comes within the framework of GOEIC's plan to update its services and transform to a more efficient and transparent digital system, in line with the policy of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade aiming to facilitate foreign trade, support exporters and importers, and enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian exports.

Engineer Essam El-Naggar added that the electronic portal and the automated system will contribute to facilitating access to services for customers, providing electronic mechanisms for submitting requests and following up on stages of providing the service, and improving communication with the customers, contributing to shortening the time required to perform the service, raising the level of customer satisfaction, and consolidating the principles of governance and transparency.

Engineer Essam El-Naggar added that the electronic portal and the automated system will contribute to facilitating access to services for customers, providing electronic mechanisms for submitting requests and following up on service stages, and improving communication with customers, which will contribute to shortening the time required to perform the service, raising the level of customer satisfaction, and consolidating the principles of governance and transparency.

The project aims to support the system of services related to the Environmental Validation and Verification Unit (GOEIC EVVU) and Conformity Units (GOEIC CU), through a unified electronic portal and an automated system that help improve service quality, enhance governance, provide an accurate central database, and support intelligent data analysis, in line with international requirements in the areas of quality, environment and sustainability.

The Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade affirmed that launching the electronic portal and the automated system represents a new step within a comprehensive path to develop services related to the foreign trade, and to transform digitization into a sustainable institutional practice, which supports investment, facilitates trade, enhances the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy, and opens new horizons for the Egyptian product in global markets.

At the conclusion of the event, the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade affirmed that the Egyptian state, under the leadership of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and with the follow-up of the Prime Minister, in developing the government services that support investment and trade, enhancing partnership with the private sector, and providing a more efficient and transparent environment for the business community, in order to support the State’s objectives of increasing Egyptian exports and enhancing its presence in regional and international markets.