Egyptian customs thwarts more than 21,000 smuggling operations in year

Mohamed Maait, Minister of Finance reviewed a report on the efforts of the Customs Authority to strengthen control governance procedures at customs outlets in cooperation with the concerned authorities, in a way that contributes to protecting Egyptian national security and the national economy, and reclaiming the rights of the state’s public treasury.

In today's statement, the minister called for strengthening the efforts of customs men in performing their job and national duty, taking into account the facilitation of customs procedures by relying on the electronic platform, "the single window that connects all ports electronically, and contributes to facilitating the movement of internal and external trade, and reducing customs release time."

Al-Shahat Ghattouri, head of the Customs Authority, said that the tightening of control measures at customs outlets contributed to reducing smuggling attempts, preserving the rights of the public treasury, and protecting the national industry and Egyptian society from entering dangerous goods or harming national security.

Ghattouri pointed out that the number of customs evasion reports during the past year amounted to 21,647, and the total dues for customs duties and smuggling fines amounted to EGP 21.23 billion.