Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchouk on Monday reaffirmed government’s commitment to empowering the private sector that has recently demonstrated ability to achieve rapid growth and survive competition, once a stimulating business environment is secured.
During a meeting with Egyptian African Businessmen’s Association Chairman (EABA) Yousrey el Sharkawi and his accompanying delegation, Kouchouk said that a top priority is given to expanding and gaining access to African markets.
The finance minister stressed the importance of expanding public-private partnership projects, with a view to supporting the continent’s development path.
Kouchouk said that the coming period will witness new structural and administrative reforms at the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) to facilitate dealings with taxpayers.
He also pointed out that customs outlets will witness significant improvements in the near future, helping reduce costs and clearance times.
He emphasized ongoing cooperation with the Ministry of Investment to ease trade movement and stimulate exports, alongside providing maximum economic support to exporters.
For her part, ETA Head Rasha Abdel Aal affirmed the Authority’s commitment to developing tax services through ensuring high levels of trust, entering into partnership as well as supporting for the business community.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Customs Authority Head Ahmed Amoui highlighted efforts meant to shorten customs clearance times to lower production and export costs, as part of an integrated strategy to modernize the customs system and simplify and digitize procedures.
For his part, EABA head Sharkawi expressed gratitude to the finance minister for his role in alleviating tax burdens on investors, congratulating him on being named Africa’s Best Finance Minister for 2025.
Sharkawi announced plans to launch a sustainable dialogue platform with the Ministry of Finance through a “Think Tank” mechanism to advance tax and customs reform phases.
