In a strategic move to safeguard Egypt’s industrial base and strengthen market integrity, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir has announced the formation of a specialized mini committee tasked with crafting targeted measures to combat customs evasion—a persistent challenge undermining local manufacturers, distorting fair competition, and draining public revenues.
The announcement was made during the 26th session of the Ministerial Group for Industrial Development, held Monday, where Al-Wazir highlighted customs evasion as a critical obstacle to the nation’s economic sustainability.
Committee Composition and Mandate
The committee brings together representatives from key state and private institutions:
- Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade
- Egyptian Customs Authority
- Organization for Standards and Quality
- General Organization for Export and Import Control
- Federation of Egyptian Industries
- Private-sector industrialists
Its core mandate includes:
- Developing recommendations to close loopholes in customs enforcement
- Improving transparency in import valuation and classification
- Shielding compliant manufacturers from unfair competition
- Enhancing market oversight mechanisms
Infrastructure Bottlenecks in Abu Rawash Industrial Zone
Minister Al-Wazir also shared findings from his recent inspection of the Abu Rawash Industrial Zone, which hosts over 800 facilities and is set to expand to 1,000. Despite its potential, the zone is plagued by infrastructure deficiencies, particularly in water and wastewater services.
He called on the Ministries of Housing to accelerate plans for a dedicated treatment plant, emphasizing that permits have been secured and funding coordination with Giza Governorate is underway. The initiative is crucial for supporting major labor-intensive, export-oriented factories operating in the zone.
Accountability for Idle Industrial Projects
The meeting also tackled underperforming industrial ventures, with the committee approving the withdrawal of land allocations from three companies that failed to meet development deadlines in the fields of animal feed production, rubber recycling, and food packaging. Pump Production as a Model
The session also reviewed the Arab Organization for Industrialization’s advancements in local pump production, which has achieved up to 80% local content in newly developed water lifting and split-case pumps. These models have been certified by the National Authority for Potable Water and Sewage, with further developments underway in partnership with international firms.
Recent achievements include:
- Completion of the first prototype of horizontal centrifugal pumps
- Assembly of multiple pump types including submersible and vertical split-case models
- Local content ratios ranging from 40% to 80%
These efforts signal Egypt’s push towards industrial self-reliance and import substitution, aligning with national goals to localize high-value manufacturing and reduce dependency on external supply chains.
