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

As a part of the directives of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade aimed at developing the foreign trade system, facilitating the release of shipments, and improving the investment climate, Dr. Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, conducted an inspection tour of Dekheila Port in Alexandria Governorate, accompanied by Engineer Ayman Attia, Governor of Alexandria, Rear Admiral Ehab Salah, Chairman of the Alexandria Port Authority, and Engineer Essam El Naggar, President of the GOEIC.

The tour included monitoring the workflow within the inspection yards and assessing the completion rates during the weekend, ensuring the continuous provision of services to the customers without interruption, and contributing to accelerating the release of shipments and the availability of goods in the markets.

The minister inspected the procedures for examining a number of incoming shipments that were under examination during the visit. He also held direct meetings with a number of importers and companies’ agents within the inspection areas, and listened to their opinions and observations regarding the work progress, stressing that direct field follow-up represents one of the most important tools for evaluating performance and improving the quality of services provided to the business community.

Dr. Mohamed Farid stressed that reducing customs release time is one of the main axes for improving the business environment and enhancing the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy, noting that the ministry continues to monitor the performance of its affiliated bodies in the field to ensure operational efficiency and the quality of services provided to the customers, and that the continuation of work during official holidays reflects the readiness of state agencies to serve investors and customers in the foreign trade system without being affected by holidays.

The tour also included visiting the chemical, food and industrial laboratories building of the GOEIC at Dekheila Port, where the Minister was briefed on the available technical and technological capabilities, and the stages of conducting laboratory tests and analyses, that represent one of the basic elements in the system of control over goods and products traded through the various ports.

The minister listened to a presentation on the operational capabilities of the laboratories, which include more than 29 specialized laboratories in the fields of chemical, food and industrial testing, and provide a wide range of approved laboratory tests that contribute to supporting the testing and control system and accelerating the procedures for releasing shipments.

On his part, Engineer Ayman Attia, Governor of Alexandria, affirmed that the governorate’s ports represent a fundamental pillar for supporting the national economy and increasing Egypt’s competitiveness, noting that continuous coordination between the entities operating in the port contributes to the smooth flow of goods and trade, and supports the state’s efforts to improve the investment climate and facilitate trade.

Engineer Essam El-Naggar, President of the GOEIC, affirmed that the GOEIC continues to implement plans to develop its laboratories and various branches in order to enhance the efficiency of services provided to the business community, noting that the GOEIC provides more than 4,000 accredited tests through its network of laboratories spread across sea, air and land ports throughout the country.

He added that the GOEIC’s laboratories are among the first Egyptian laboratories to obtain international accreditation in accordance with the international standard ISO/IEC 17025, and are accredited by the Egypt’s Accreditation Council “EGAC”, which reflects the level of technical efficiency and reliability that the GOEIC’s laboratory testing and analysis system enjoys.

This visit comes as part of the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade’s field tours in the governorates, to ensure the readiness of the inspection and control system and the continued provision of services efficiently throughout the week, in support of the foreign trade and to enhance the state’s efforts to improve the business environment.