Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the General Organization of Export and Import Control (GOEIC) signed a Record of Discussion (ROD) to launch a transformative $11million project aimed at improving trade facilitation in Egypt. The project, titled “Establishment of the Digital Platform for risk-based inspection and tracking to facilitate trade in Egypt.
The signing ceremony took place in Cairo, with KOICA's Deputy Country Director, Mr. Lee Myungshyn, and GOEIC's Chairman, Mr. Essam El-Naggar, in attendance, alongside Dr. Mai Hassab El Nabbi Assal, Assistant Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade for Development Projects, International Relations, and Political Communication, and Dr. Eman Fakhry, Senior Manager of the Asian Cooperation Sector at the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation.
The project aims to streamline Egypt's import cargo inspection processes and bolster Egypt’s global trade competitiveness. Key components of the project include having digital systems for the cargo risk-based inspection, laboratory information management system, and market surveillance system.
The project is set to run from 2025 to 2029, marking a significant investment in Egypt's trade infrastructure.
"We believe this project will significantly enhance Egypt's trade facilitation capabilities, fostering economic growth and sustainability. Our collaboration with GOEIC marks a crucial step towards a more efficient and competitive trade environment in Egypt” according to the Deputy Country Director of KOICA Egypt Office
For her part, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, said that this project is a continuation of the coordinating efforts undertaken by the Ministry in collaboration with all concerned parties to enhance the utilization of Korean grant resources to support the Egyptian government's plans for digital transformation and promote inclusive and sustainable development.
Through the digital platform for risk-based inspection and tracking, national efforts are supported to facilitate and develop trade flows through digital transformation. She emphasized the importance of the project in enhancing competitiveness by accelerating inspection and customs clearance processes, thereby reducing administrative barriers and ensuring compliance with international standards in foreign trade.
Meanwhile, Engineer Hassan Al-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, indicated that this project is part of the state’s vision to govern ports, accelerate, simplify, and reduce the cost and time of conformity assessment procedures for goods at ports, aiming to decrease release times to reach global standards. This includes tightening control over the trading, importing, and exporting of low-quality goods, in line with Egypt’s international commitments under the World Trade Organization's "Trade Facilitation Agreement" regarding the implementation of integrated risk management systems in cross-border trade.
Additionally, Engineer Essam Al-Naggar, Chairman of the General Authority for Export and Import Control, praised the support from the Korean government for implementing this project, which will contribute to establishing a modern integrated system for monitoring the import of industrial goods, including market surveillance, similar to practices in developed countries.
KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) is a Korean government agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dedicated to implementing grant aid programs designed to combat poverty and support sustainable socio-economic growth in developing countries worldwide.
The KOICA Egypt Office, established in 1998, provides technical and technological education for youth in Egypt, supports the digitalization of government services and systems, and carries out programs to address gender-based violence, strengthen women's empowerment, and support vulnerable groups.
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