Egypt will manage 90% of its imports and exports electronically by January 2021 in a bid to speed up customs clearance, increase trade flows, and improve Egypt’s ranking in the Logistical Performance Index, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said in a statement. Logistics centers in Cairo as well as East and West Port Said are now operational, with Alexandria expected to follow suit next month, and Damietta and Dekheila in November and January respectively, he said.

Expedited clearance times: Maait said that the Ain Sokhna and Port Said ports should be able to process imports through customs in under three days by the end of this year, with the rest of Egypt’s ports catching up by the end of 2021. A task force — which will consist of representatives from the Customs Authority, the General Organization for Import and Export Control, and others — will be present at land and sea borders and will follow a strict protocol of checks to allow for the expedited clearance of goods. He added that the government’s new one-stop-shop customs system should be operational in Egypt’s main ports by the end of June 2021.

A refresher on the new Customs Act: The legislation was passed earlier this year to allow for expedited clearance of goods, increase penalties for violations, and expand the powers of customs clearance agents. Tap/click here for more.