Trade Announces the Continuation of the Examination of the Second Consignment of Russian Wheat in Safaga … and Moscow is Committed to Ensuring the Quality of Product

The Ministry of Trade and Industry said that it is not possible at present to determine the date of announcement of the results of the examination of the second Russian consignment of wheat imported by the Egyptian Traders Company, which Chancellor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, the Public Prosecutor, decided to reserve it in the port of Safaga.
The quantity amounts to 56 thousand tons, after the return of the first shipment to Russia, while Russia said it is committed to send official certificates with any shipment of wheat exported to Egypt to prove its safety.
 
Hisham Rajab, Assistant Minister for Legal Affairs and legislative bodies, said that the investigation continues to examine the consignment to find out the extent of its compliance to the specifications and health rules in Egypt.  He also points out that the checks associated is linked to multiple sectors, including health and plant quarantine and other regulatory bodies.
 
Rajab added that the ministry urged regulatory reports as to the suitability of wheat for human consumption, and the extent of its conformity with the standards in preparation for a decision, and to determine the responsibility of the company.
He stressed that the ministry had written off from the register the name of the Egyptian Traders Company accredited to the General Authority for Supply Commodities, in the event investigations prove that the shipment is corrupt, saying that the decision to stop dealing with the company applies to all contracts with the Board, including the import of grains and oils of all kinds, until the end of investigations of the shipment.
 
The ministry described the resolutions as coming within the framework of transparency, which the ministry is keen to achieve towards any goods it deals with in the supply of goods, adding that his ministry does not cover up corruption.
 
An official source in the General Authority for Supply Commodities said that the Egyptian Traders Company did not get the value of the second shipment which is 56 thousand tons, which is being currently tested.  He noted that the share of the shipment for the General Authority for Supply Commodities is of 28 thousand tons, and the rest belongs to the company.
The source added that the company did not wait for the results of the examination of the first shipment, and imported the second one.  Immediately after its arrival it was reserved until the end of the first examination.
The first shipment was returned to the country of origin, confirming that the Commission did not open a bill of loading for the second shipment and therefore there is no benefit to the company for the shipment, pointing out that the ministry ordered the company to bear the cost of inspection and freight and the testing of the rejected shipment.
In the same context, Russia said it had agreed with Egypt to provide certificates from an official with any shipment of wheat exported to Cairo to confirm that it is consistent with quality standards.
According to the head of the safety of plants and animals in Moscow, Sergei Dankvert said, "Our aim is to have wheat exports accompanied by certificates issued by the State and not through inspection companies.
We want to earn our place in the world market," and he denied that his country had received any documents from Egypt regarding the reserved shipments of wheat.