Egypt: President El-Sisi Meets Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
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Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Finance Mr. Ahmed Kouchouk.
The Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the meeting reviewed the key features and details of the second tax facilitation package, titled supporting and stimulating tax compliance. This package is part of a broader tax facilitation strategy that includes four packages; the first aims at opening a new chapter and building trust between the Tax Authority and taxpayers, and the second aims at stimulating tax compliance while continuing to support and simplify procedures, enhance automation, expand the base, and ensure tax compliance in future packages.
The Minister of Finance noted that the second package targets all segments of the tax-compliant community and aims to support compliant taxpayers through tax benefits and facilitations that enhance trust, promote voluntary compliance, help businesses grow, support their competitiveness, and guarantee the rights of taxpayers while ensuring liquidity for both taxpayers and companies. He also presented efforts to complete the tax reform process to encourage investment, within the framework of a "Trust Partnership" with the business community, through the launch of the tax facilitation initiative, which has proven successful in the first package.
Mr. Kouchouk pointed out that this initiative had presented a successful model for the desired change for the benefit of the business community and the Egyptian economy. A total of 400,000 cases in which old files were voluntarily closed, and 650,000 taxpayers filed new or amended returns with additional taxes of around 78 billion Egyptian pounds. Additionally, new and additional business volumes totaling about one trillion pounds were reported.
The Minister of Finance also highlighted the second package's focus on improving the efficiency of the Value Added Tax (VAT) refund system, launching premium tax service centers, and introducing a series of incentives for tax-compliant individuals, along with several other reforms addressing requests from the business community, taxpayers, accountants, and tax experts.
The President gave directives to launch the second tax package, while emphasizing the importance of continuously developing the tax system, building new relationships based on trust, credibility, and certainty, improving all tax services, providing additional facilities, and fostering trust with investors.
The Minister of Finance also reviewed developments in the preparation and implementation of property tax facilitation measures. He explained that the tax vision aims to reduce the tax burden, considering both the social and economic aspects, simplify tax procedures, implement digital transformation, and address the cons identified through practical application. The facilitations offered by the state include simplifying tax returns, extending the assessment and collection period to seven years, raising the exemption threshold for private housing, suspending or waiving taxes in times of crisis, eliminating tax debts and late fees in specific cases, improving the tax appeal process, introducing electronic tax payments, and setting a cap on late fees not exceeding the principal tax amount.
The meeting reviewed the financial and economic performance and efforts to regain investor confidence, in line with a comprehensive and consistent economic vision to increase the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy. The Minister confirmed that economic activity is moving in a positive direction, with private investments growing by 73% in the last fiscal year, noting balanced and encouraging indicators that help restore investor confidence in the Egyptian economy. He emphasized the commitment to maintaining a large primary surplus to increase spending on human development and social protection programs, and to effectively contribute to stimulating manufacturing and exports.
The Minister of Finance reviewed the plan to develop the customs system, which was prepared in full cooperation between the Ministry of Finance (Customs Authority) and the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade. The plan reflects the needs of production projects and business chambers, aiming to address the challenges faced by the business community and implement policies that support and encourage investors. This will contribute to increasing exports and enhancing the competitiveness of the Egyptian economy through simplifying procedures and developing the customs system.
The Minister outlined three key areas of the customs development plan: reducing customs release times, facilitating and automating the customs system, and strengthening control measures to limit smuggling. He mentioned plans to apply a unified and fast inspection system, expand pre-clearance procedures, accept electronic payments, and train customs staff to improve their technical capabilities.
The Minister of Finance presented efforts to reduce the budgetary debt-to-GDP ratio as a national priority, stressing the continued implementation of the budget debt management strategy. He added that the private sector has shown strong confidence in the potential of the Egyptian economy and investment climate, leading to major investment deals such as the "Ras El-Hekma" and "Alam El-Roum" projects.
President El-Sisi emphasized the need to build on the current improvement in economic indicators and work towards increasing private investments to confirm the private sector's ability to drive growth and development. The President also stressed the importance of investing in human resources through innovative programs and initiatives, alongside training, to ensure performance improvements that serve the economy. Furthermore, President El-Sisi underscored the importance of taking necessary measures to implement digital transformation in the Ministry of Finance's operations, including in customs and taxes, while stressing continued governance in all procedures.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.Egypt – Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation in a Meeting with Ambassadors of 7 African Countries: His Excellency (H.E.) President Abdel...
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- Joint African Action is the Only Way to Face Challenges and Conflicts and Build a Development Model Based on the Exchange of Expertise
- The Egyptian Private Sector Plays a Pivotal Role in Infrastructure Development in Many Countries... We are Open to Transferring Our Development Expertise and Experience
- Integration with African Countries is an Extension of Egypt's Historical Role in Supporting the Continent's Interests
- Maximizing the Benefit from South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation to Expand the Scope of Development Solutions and Build Cross-Border Partnerships
H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, held an expanded meeting with 7 African country ambassadors, including Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Cameroon, Uganda, and Senegal. This took place during the activities of the First Egyptian-African Economic Conference, organized by “Al-Ahram Hebdo” newspaper under the theme “The Africa We Want: Integration and Partnership for the Future.”
The meeting discussed efforts to achieve development in the continent and the joint relations between Egypt and sisterly and friendly countries to face the challenges confronting African nations, strengthen interconnectedness through joint infrastructure projects, increase trade exchange rates and joint investments, and create effective partnerships between the private sectors.
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, reaffirmed that H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, regularly emphasizes boosting cooperation and integration with the continent's countries to create a joint economic future. She clarified that joint African action is the only way to face challenges and conflicts and build a development model based on the exchange of expertise.
Dr. Al-Mashat pointed out that achieving development in the African continent depends on strengthening ties and integration among the continent's countries, which constitute an economic bloc rich in resources, capable of playing a pivotal role in the global economy. She noted that Egypt is keen to exert every effort to halt the disputes and conflicts that impede development in the continent's countries.
Minister Al-Mashat reiterated that the relations linking Egypt with its African partners are not merely diplomatic messages but an effective commitment to boosting joint action, through the entry of the Egyptian private sector into the continent via important infrastructure projects and the implementation of connectivity projects like the Cairo-Cape Town project. This is in addition to continuous cooperation to exchange expertise with the continent's countries in preparing feasibility studies for projects, and maximizing benefit from Egypt's expertise in the field of international cooperation and development finance.
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat indicated that Joint Committees are considered one of the innovative mechanisms for strengthening relations, with the Egyptian-Algerian Joint Committee recently convened. These committees contribute to enhancing priorities and exploring areas of joint cooperation.
Minister Al-Mashat also referred to the green transition file and the resources the continent possesses to become a center for renewable energy in light of its unique natural resources. In this regard, Egypt and the continent's countries are enhancing their partnership with the World Bank to implement its initiative to make renewable energy accessible to 300 million people on the continent.
Dr. Al-Mashat underscored the role of the African Development Bank and other international institutions in advocating for enhanced private sector participation.
The Minister said: "As Egypt's Governor at the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and other institutions, there is a growing global interest in fostering cooperation with Africa. The EBRD recently added Sub-Saharan African countries to its countries of operation, which reflects the global trend toward the continent."
Dr. Al-Mashat noted that the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation launched a South-South and Triangular Cooperation Strategy in 2024 to maximize the benefit from South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation to expand the scope of development solutions and build cross-border partnerships. She mentioned that integration with African brothers is an extension of Egypt's historical role in supporting the continent's interests.
During the meeting, the African ambassadors reaffirmed their appreciation for the efforts undertaken by H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to promote joint African action, attempt to establish fundamental solutions to the challenges facing the continent, and achieve interconnectedness and integration among countries at various levels, particularly given the continent's rich natural and human potential.
The participating ambassadors also expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation through economic diplomacy and coordination in international forums to raise the continent's voice and demands.
The African ambassadors proposed a number of initiatives and suggestions, most notably enhancing inter-African tourism by linking Egyptian tourism networks with tourism channels in the continent's countries to create new routes, including eco-tourism and forest and natural areas tourism, and benefiting from Egypt's ability to attract foreign tourists to redirect part of the tourist movement towards other African countries, in addition to enhancing cooperation in the fields of: "education, health, communications, and the exchange of expertise between governmental institutions and the private sector in the continent's countries."
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation - Egypt.Kenya: Foreign Service Academy Hosts National Defence College Delegation
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The Foreign Service Academy hosted a delegation from the National Defence College (NDC) for an educational visit aimed at deepening their understanding of Kenya's diplomatic operations.
Political and Diplomatic Secretary Amb. Josphat Maikara led the session, taking the officers through the mandate of the Ministry of Foreign & Diaspora Affairs and the country's evolving foreign policy priorities.
He traced the evolution of Kenya's foreign policy, highlighting milestones such as the development of the country's first written Foreign Policy Document in 2014, which defined the pillars of peace, economic, diaspora, environmental and cultural diplomacy.
He also outlined Kenya's new foreign policy and also the Sessional Paper on Kenya Foreign Policy (2025). The updated framework, he said, is designed to modernize Kenya's diplomatic approach and align it with rapidly shifting geopolitical realities, emerging economic trends, and fast-evolving technological landscapes that are reshaping global relations.
Amb. Maikara went on to highlight Kenya's current diplomatic priorities—ranging from regional peace and security and enhanced economic cooperation to climate diplomacy, diaspora engagement, and the expanding role of digital diplomacy.
In his presentation, he also highlighted the close relationship between diplomacy and national security, noting that they are inseparable. He stressed that a coherent and forward-looking foreign policy is essential for safeguarding and advancing Kenya's strategic interests in an increasingly unpredictable world.
The session concluded with a lively question-and-answer segment, where officers from Kenya and abroad sought clarity on Kenya's engagement in regional blocs, responses to emerging global challenges, and the interplay between diplomatic efforts and national security. Amb. Maikara provided detailed insights, drawing on Kenya's experiences and underscoring the importance of collaboration between defence and foreign affairs in advancing the country's strategic goals
Head of delegation from the National Defence College, Major General Yahya Sheikh Abdi, thanked the Foreign Service Academy for the warm welcome and insightful briefing, noting that the visit had significantly enhanced their understanding of the vital role diplomacy plays alongside defence in advancing Kenya's national interests.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Republic of Kenya.