The government has worked over the years to create a favorable investment environment in Egypt by adjusting various factors to attract and stimulate investment. However, despite these efforts, the investment climate still faces several obstacles that affect investors and the business community. Key issues include high interest rates and their impact on coal prices, as well as tax challenges. Addressing these issues is essential for improving the investment landscape.

In this context, Canada Egypt Business Council and the Egyptian Business Council for International Cooperation held a forum entitled: “Investing in Egypt… Opportunities and Challenges” featuring; H.E. Eng. Hassan El-Khattib Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Motaz Raslan; chairman of CEBC and ECIC mentioned that the investment file has received special attention from the state, and the government is trying to create an environment and climate of business from a legislative structure and develop the infrastructure and logistics, energy projects, commercial agreements, and to offer huge opportunities for Arab partnerships and other procedures. Indeed, these procedures began to bear fruit, despite the challenges facing the global economy. For credit rating, Egypt is at the forefront of the receiving countries for investment flows in the region during the year 2025 thanks to economic reforms and the decline in external financing pressures.

Add to this what the report of the Central Bank of Egypt stated from the increase in the net foreign direct investment flows to 46.1 billion dollars during the fiscal year ending in June 2024 to increase by 11 times compared to 2013/2014.

“we are pleased to welcome the Minister Hassan Al -Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and we thank him for fulfilling the invitation and sharing the dialogue on this important issue.” Eng. Motaz said. Then he gave the floor to H.E. Eng. Hassan El-Khattib; Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade.

The minister started his speech stressing that the ministry is working to create a more competitive and attractive investment climate for local and foreign investments, based on transparency and clarity, providing the institutional and legislative environment, improving the business environment, simplifying procedures and overcoming obstacles facing investors, while strengthening the role of the private sector as a major partner in development.

H.E. Eng. El-Khattib added that the ministry seeks to encourage Egyptian exports and increase their competitiveness globally by improving commercial policies, adopting effective mechanisms for developing foreign trade, and encouraging national -added industries.

The Minister pointed out the importance of the stability and clarity of the monetary, financial and commercial policies of the state, and to give the private sector the pivotal role in advancing the economy, in addition to the clarity of the state’s role in the economy to become the sergeant, organizer and governance to ensure an attractive investment environment, as well as the clarity of the rights and obligations of the investor towards the state during the investment period, As well as relieving the burdens on the investor’s shoulders with the unification of the deal, unifying the collection, supporting digital transformation and establishing one platform for licenses.

H.E. El -Khattib pointed out that the government is currently working to implement more reforms for financial, monetary, commercial and procedural policies with the aim of facilitating investors and facilitating the movement of foreign trade for Egypt that includes reaching the time of customs release for only two days, through the continued work of customs services with official holidays and Fridays, and the possibility of providing the possibility The fees were paid after the work hours ended in banks, as the work has been activated since Thursday, December 12, 2024, to extend the work until 6 pm, indicating that the customs items were also unified to a joint committee from the relevant bodies.

The minister said that the bodies that deal with the investor and the entities that obtain fees and in exchange for services and deductions have been limited, and work is underway to re -govern the financial dues imposed on projects, and to limit the collections to be four parties at most according to the nature of the activity, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance; This is in an effort to alleviate the administrative and financial burdens on projects, as well as enabling these projects to pre -knowledge of all the financial burdens owed by the state to establish projects or establish expansion for them, which will contribute directly to improving the investment climate in Egypt.

He concluded his speech stating that the trade file occupies a top priority in the work of the ministry, as the focus is on improving the trade balance and reducing the gap between exports and imports, noting that the ministry aims during the coming period, to enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian products in global markets, and support the priority sectors to increase their contribution In exports, implementing clear policies to stimulate local production directed to export, and targeting sustainable export growth that raises its contribution to gross domestic product, and enhances the strength of the Egyptian economy globally.

Then the floor was open for ECIC & CEBC guests to ask questions, and the minister was actively addressing their inquiries.