LEGISLATION WATCH- Cabinet to sign off on Customs Act amendments this week? The proposed amendments to the Customs Act are apparently alive and well, and will be approved by the Madbouly Cabinet this Wednesday, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said, according to Amwal Al Ghad. Cabinet had approved “in principle” the amendments earlier this month, but Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce Head Ahmed El Wakeel had said last week that Maait had scrapped the amendments and planned to put the legislation back up for public discussion in 1Q2019. If passed, the proposed amendments would create a fast-track for customs clearance, a “whitelist” of trusted importers, and broaden the Customs Authority’s discretion.

Separately, Maait has set up three committees to address duty payment disputes and concerns, El Wakeel said. The committees, which will be comprised of tax and customs officials, as well as representatives from the federation, will look into income and VAT tax, custom duties, and real estate tax disputes. They will convene every 15 days to discuss resolution proposals.