H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) mission, headed by Ms. Jinyoung Kim, Head of KOICA's Egypt and Middle East Office, to discuss joint cooperation efforts with KOICA to implement a digital platform for integrated and comprehensive risk management for trade facilitation in Egypt, which is being implemented for the Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC).
At the beginning of the meeting, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat welcomed the KOICA delegation, emphasizing the depth of Egyptian-Korean relations as one of Egypt's key partners in Asia, explaining that the cooperation between the two countries is a unique example of impactful partnerships through the implementation of several pioneering projects in Egypt, in line with the national development goals to achieve sustainable development, under Egypt's classification as one of the five priority partners in South Korea's development cooperation efforts; to strengthen the depth and importance of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reflect the joint commitment to achieving sustainable development.
Dr. Al-Mashat affirmed the ministry's keenness to coordinate areas of cooperation with the Korean side in light of Egypt’s Vision 2030, the strategic priorities of the government program, and sectoral plans, which contributes to achieving comprehensive and sustainable development, noting the ministry's role in implementing the economic and social development plan, integrating between national priorities and international partnerships, as well as formulating and developing economic policies for Egypt and enhancing international cooperation to serve the Egyptian economy, focusing on using modern technology to develop government performance and support digital transformation across various sectors, in addition to implementing structural reforms to create an enabling environment
The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation praised the financial and technical support provided by KOICA to develop the project, which is reflected in facilitating and developing trade through digital transformation, emphasizing the importance of the project in enhancing competitiveness by accelerating the inspection and customs clearance processes, thereby reducing administrative obstacles and ensuring compliance with international standards in foreign trade.
Dr. Al-Mashat stated that the project aligns with Egypt's strategic directions towards digital transformation and economic sustainability, providing accurate data that helps decision-makers formulate more efficient and effective policies in the trade and industry sectors. The long-term benefits of the project include achieving digital integration among various government entities, which enhances the efficiency of government work and reduces complex bureaucratic procedures.
H.E. Pointed out the project's role in improving the business environment and attracting more foreign investments, especially as it contributes to improving Egypt's ranking in global indicators on the ease of doing business and economic competitiveness, explaining Egypt's keenness to exchange experiences and benefit from the Korean experience in developing digital trade systems, ensuring a qualitative leap in the Egyptian business environment, reaffirming the commitment of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation to continue supporting projects that contribute to achieving Egypt's Vision 2030 and promoting sustainable economic growth.
During the meeting, the KOICA team presented the project's significance, implementation phases, and the economic benefits it achieves, especially in terms of reducing waiting times for goods at customs ports, reducing operational costs for companies, and increasing foreign investors' confidence in the Egyptian trade system, as the project will be implemented starting from the middle of current year until the end of 2029, through multiple components, including building and operating the digital system for risk-based inspection of non-food industrial goods, establishing and operating the digital information management system for all laboratories of the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC), and creating and operating the digital track and trace system, and creating a digital passport system for industrial goods products in the local market.
For her part, Ms. Jin Young Kim, Regional Director of KOICA Egypt, praised the effective cooperation between the office and the Ministry in coordinating the visit of Korean experts to the Egyptian Export-Import Control Organization to finalize the project. Kim added that KOICA is currently seeking with the ministry to expand comprehensively in the digital transformation pillar, of which this project is one of the most important outputs, as it aims to support the facilitation of trade facilitation in Egypt and enhance its competitiveness in global trade, as well as simplifying the procedures for examining imported goods by reducing the examination time for shipments coming to Egyptian ports, where the project activities are scheduled to include developing principles for improving machine learning models to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of risk-based cargo selection, as well as developing a strategic plan for the inspection and tracking system.