The heads of investor associations across Egypt's governorates welcomed the country's initial tax relief package, describing it as a significant step towards building trust between the business community and the government. During a recent meeting with Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk, hosted by the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises, investors from governorate-level associations expressed gratitude for the ministry's commitment to improving the investment climate. They highlighted the importance of continuing the momentum with more facilitations and clearer incentives. "The new incentives offer investors the opportunity to open a new chapter with the ETA by closing all old files," said Osama Hafila, Chairman of the Damietta Investors Association. The facilitation package, part of the government's broader tax reform agenda, includes streamlined procedures, centralised clearing mechanisms, and a simplified tax system designed to integrate small and medium enterprises (SMEs) into the formal economy. Officials say the measures are already helping resolve long-pending cases and reduce red tape. Heads of investors' associations across Egypt recently attend a meeting with Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchouk (Ministry Photo) Investor leaders also applauded initiatives that ease compliance for small taxpayers, even those without official premises, and welcomed the Finance Ministry's focus on investing in human capital to improve service quality at tax offices. "... the simplified tax system benefits both the state and investors by incentivising entrepreneurs to increase their investment and production efforts, ultimately contributing to the desired economic growth." said Ali Hamza, Chairman of the Assiut Investors Association. He described the package as "a strong starting point" to improve relationships between taxpayers and the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA). Investors stressed that proper implementation of these measures across all tax offices will be critical to ensuring fairness and maintaining momentum for economic growth. The Finance Ministry launched its first tax facilitation package last month as part of its plan to modernise tax administration, improve transparency, and create a more investor-friendly environment amid broader economic reforms. "... the proper and unified application of the incentives across various tax offices will ensure tax fairness among all investors." said Adel El-Sokkary, vice chairman of the Assiut Investors Association. If properly applied, El-Sokkary, emphasised that the new measures would help attract more SMEs into the formal economy and increase overall tax compliance. Mahmoud Al-Shandawili, chairman of the Sohag Investors Association, said public awareness campaigns have started yielding results. "Resolving disputes is critical for restarting investment projects that have stalled for years," he said. "... the tax relief measures ... offer a key advantage in resolving old disputes." Al-Shandawili noted, adding this would enable "numerous investors to progress in launching new investment and production projects, which in turn contribute to the realisation of sustainable and comprehensive development." Abdullah Ghazali, chairman of the Belbeis Industrial Investors Association, also praised the package, describing it as a "positive step toward easing the burden on taxpayers and improving relations with revenue authorities." He highlighted the importance of the Ministry of Finance's parallel focus on investing in human capital, which he said is crucial for enhancing the quality of service at tax offices. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
