Customs & Taxation Committee
FIELD TRIP, Visit to Alexandria port
On June 2, the Transport and Customs & Taxation committees co-organized a field trip to the newly renovated Alexandria Port. The visit included presentations by General Ibrahim Youssef, chairman of Alexandria Port Authority, and Galal Aboul Fetouh, head of the Customs Authority, on the port and new automated customs procedures respectively.
Youssef provided an overview of the port’s history and its ambitious rebuilding plan, begun five years ago, which is now wrapping up its initial phase. He outlined the accomplishments to date, which include two new container terminals, a new passenger terminal, construction of deeper quays to receive larger vessels, the redesigning of storage areas, warehouses and associated infrastructure, an electronic system that automates operations, payments and customs, an improved road network, new underground fiber optic cables and sewage treatment stations.
Youssef said the port authority’s plan involves next constructing a tourism complex in the port, which will include a marina and recreation area, with hotels, yacht berths, shopping and a commercial area. He said the long-term vision is to connect Alexandria Port to Dekheila Port, which lies seven kilometers to the west, increasing the overall port size to 117 berths and a hinterland encompassing 7 million square meters.
Aboul Fetouh, meanwhile, described the automated procedures currently being phased in, which replace the old system of paperwork. The change from a manual system to an electronic one will save time and costs, he said. It will allow the port community, including shipping agents, vessel owners and consignees, to access data online regarding the traffic and movement of vessels and cargo. It will also help the port manage logistics, and could mean that goods spend less time in the port, which ultimately reduces costs. Aboul Fetouh said the long-term goal is to link all of Egypt’s ports using the same electronic system.
After the presentations, the port authority officials provided a tour of the port, including a close-up look at the museum, passenger terminal and the control center, before dining with Chamber members at a seafood restaurant in Alexandria.
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