Ministerial group sets measures to combat custom evasion
Egypt, Economics, 5/1/2000

The Ministerial Committee for Confronting Custom Evasion decided at its meeting yesterday under Prime Minister Atef Ebeid to appoint a ministerial group for drafting working papers for tackling executive measures for combating custom evasion and product dumping commodities in preparation for raising them before the cabinet meeting in the middle of next month.

At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Atef Ebeid said the issue is not getting additional custom tariffs but providing protection for the Egyptian product against unfair competition as a result of custom evasion and the entry of commodities to the Egyptian market illegally.

Emerging from the meeting, Minister of Information Safwat Al-Sherif said the ministerial working group would comprise the ministers of finance, industry, domestic trade, representatives from the ministry of justice, investment authority, industries federation and a number of exporters.

He added the working group would set executive measures necessary for combating custom evasion and reviewing the rules relevant to the development of the Egyptian exports.

Sherif expounded that executives measures which are due to be raised before the cabinet comprise tightening control and filling the gaps, the use of sophisticated systems to prevent the smuggling of commodities from land, naval and air outlets and to control the commodities entering and existing from Egypt accurately In term of volume, specification and price in addition to tightening control over outlets in the public and private sector free zones, in order to give no access to impermissible commodities.

He said customs would be maintained on permissible commodities so as to maintain fair pricing competition.

Sherif further said that the committee took a number of recommendations including banning importation of second hand commodities mainly clothes harmful to public health and protecting consumers in case they are sold as newly used commodities in addition to banning the importation of second-hand spare parts.

He also said a ministerial working group would review control system in the private free zones in order to maintain transparency in production .

He added these measures would be raised before the cabinet and would include providing naval, land harbors and airports with devices which could screen the contents of containers and imported and exported commodities.

He, said the working group would be in charge of developing exports and facilitating measures through which exporters would get their dues immediately from exporter development bank or from customs administration.

Previous Stories:
  Ebeid: economic conditions satisfactory   (4/29/2000)
  US congressional delegation visits Egypt   (4/20/2000)
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