In a move to deepen collaboration with the private sector, Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El-Khatib, and Minister of Finance, Ahmed Kouchouk, held a consultative meeting with business community representatives to review the government's reform agenda under the Business Readiness Report, issued by the World Bank Group. Minister El-Khatib described the report as a crucial global benchmark used by investors to assess market readiness, adding that Egypt's ambition is to rank among the top 50 countries, a reflection of its growing investment appeal and economic resilience. He emphasized that the report acts as a strategic tool, guiding policy reforms across legislation, procedures, and digital transformation, all aimed at enhancing Egypt's competitiveness on the global stage. Egypt has played an active role in shaping the reform matrix, contributing through ten specialized working groups focused on the report's key themes. Between April and August, a total of 36 meetings were held by the national committee, technical secretariat, sectoral teams, and World Bank experts to align reform efforts with international standards and investor expectations. Addressing trade performance, El-Khatib noted that Egypt does not face an import problem, with 93 percent of imports consisting of basic goods. However, exports remain a challenge, contributing less than 10 percent of GDP. The government is working to double this share through reforms to the foreign trade system and policies aimed at strengthening export capacity. The Minister highlighted progress in reducing customs clearance times and associated costs through 29 measures implemented jointly with the Ministry of Finance. The current target is to achieve a maximum clearance time of two days, with ongoing efforts to shorten this further to just a few hours. These reforms are part of a broader strategy to streamline trade processes, protect national industries, expand Egypt's commercial presence in Africa, and improve the efficiency of the digital trade gateway. In addition, El-Khatib announced a new initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to study non-tax financial burdens imposed on businesses. For the first time, a comprehensive nationwide survey is being conducted to identify all fees and service charges paid by economic entities, with the aim of rationalizing these costs and enhancing business competitiveness. El-Khatib also outlined the government's Foreign Direct Investment Strategy for 2025–2030, which categorizes sectors based on their readiness for immediate investment promotion. This strategy includes the development of a detailed investment opportunity map, specific targets for each sector, and an integrated investment plan. He pointed to significant progress in digital transformation, including the launch of a national licensing platform offering 389 licenses, and the development of a unified platform for economic entities, which is being implemented in parallel with the re-engineering of administrative procedures. Minister Kouchouk, in turn, reaffirmed the government's commitment to comprehensive tax and customs reforms. He noted that a new tax reform package consisting of 25 measures would be announced soon. The Ministry of Finance is also advancing port modernization efforts and introducing reforms to the Customs Law to simplify procedures and reduce clearance times. Kouchouk underscored the importance of community engagement, stating that future regulations, laws, and decisions will be published for public consultation to ensure transparency and responsiveness to business needs. During the meeting, Dalia Al-Hawari, Deputy CEO of the Authority and Head of the Technical Secretariat of the National Committee for the Business Readiness Report, provided an overview of the report's framework. She explained that the report addresses the entire life cycle of a business—from establishment to exit—across ten thematic areas. The assessment is structured around three core pillars: the legislative and regulatory environment, the degree of digital transformation, and the operational efficiency of government services. Al-Hawari outlined Egypt's current progress and future roadmap for completing the reform matrix ahead of the country's official participation in the third edition of the report, scheduled for release in 2026 and covering 180 countries. The meeting concluded with contributions from private sector representatives who offered a range of proposals to improve the business climate. El-Khatib welcomed their input and invited them to submit detailed written recommendations for further evaluation, underscoring the government's commitment to inclusive reform and sustained dialogue with the business community. "This consultative approach reflects a clear policy shift toward transparency and collaboration," said El-Khatib. "The private sector is not just a beneficiary of reforms—it is a partner in shaping Egypt's economic future."
