The Egyptian Customs Authority

The Egyptian Customs Authority is a division of the Egyptian Ministry of Finance. It is in charge of controlling the flow of products into and out of the country, as well as collecting fees and taxes.

Managing every shipment following the guidelines for scrutiny in every inspection by customs officials.

The main duties of the Egyptian Customs

  • Covers all fees, tariffs, import and export taxes. Plus other levies are paid to customs by exporters and importers by applicable rules and tariff legislation.
  • Protecting public coffers by stopping tax evasion and making sure fees are paid.
  • Tracking the condition of raw supplies free of customs in warehouses at airports and seaports.
  • Keeping an eye on the flow of inventories at both public and private establishments with permission to hold imports.
  • An assurance to adhere to the policies, procedures, and standards of Egyptian ministries and other governmental bodies.
  • Fighting smuggling, whether domestically or abroad, through ports on land, at sea, or in the air.

In several customs-related fields, the Egyptian Customs Authority is trying to improve operations. and they use state-of-the-art methods like pre-release and widely applied risk management strategies in many different sectors.

That’s why NAFEZA was created to carry out the ideal work.

NAFEZA

To meet all regulatory criteria for commodity import, export, and transit, trade, and transport partners can submit combined data and paperwork to NAFEZA at a single point of entry. data is only exchanged digitally once for each item of data.

This method has garnered global recognition and acceptance from a slew of international trade groups.

The World Customs Organization, the Center for Trade and E-Business Facilitation, and the United Nations European Economic Commission (UNECE) (WCO) are examples of these organizations.

Re-engineering the National Single Window for Trade, or “Nafeza” aims to develop an integrated data platform that coordinates and integrates data. And procedures between Egyptian parties participating in foreign trade.

An electronic portal or a logistic services center allows the business community to submit all transactions and documents (customs, control, and port) at the same time, completing all regulatory duties related to international trade.

The platform accelerates product release processes by global norms and standards before integrating Egypt into a unified logistics center.

There are two key axes to the foundation of the national single window system for trade “NAFEZA”:

  1. by applying re-engineering methods. 
  2. System component development (digital site, logistic apps, central system integration techniques to feed relevant authorities' data warehouses, logistics service centers, and data infrastructure).    

ACID Pre-registration system for shipments

Main data:

  • The pre-registration of shipments system (ACI) was implemented for all marine imports beginning October 1st, 2021. 
  • The pre-registration system (ACI) for air shipments will be live on May 15th, 2022.  
  • Air freight will be subject to the requisite implementation beginning October 1, 2022. 
  • Postal packages for which the ACI's pre-registration system for shipments has not been used. 
  • A postal parcel is a package with a maximum weight of 50 kg and a maximum value of 2000 USD or its equivalent in any other currency that will be sent by one of the courier express mail shipping firms.
  • The regulatory criteria vary depending on when commodities are carried from abroad to Egyptian seaports and airports. 

Procedures for imports under the new system:

  1. Create an account on a NAFEZA platform to receive an electronic signature and pre-registration of shipment data to be imported to obtain the shipment identification number (ACID).
  2. Digitally submit documentation and product details (using the NAFEZA portal). 
  3. A customs entry's first ACID is valid for six months. It is distributed for each shipment separately. 
  4. Customs brokers may seek a (ACID) number and proceed with processes based on the owner's electronic authorization. 
  5. Clarification of HS CODE item data and part number selection according to the type of item being entered.
  6. Through a shipping agent, each HBL has a unique (ACID), and the HBL entry is added. Regarding the MBL issue on NAFEZA with a Master ACID. 
  7. Once you have an ACID number, you can change customs products on NAFEZA. However, you cannot get an ACID number after the product has left the point of origin. 
  8. The importer must sign digitally and submit all required paperwork to register with Customs at step 46 via the electronic portal. 
  9. If a corporation has a large number of sub-accounts, each importer may supply several electronic signatures for that company. 
  10. The exporter's registration number on CARGO X is the tax number or commercial register number in the exporting country that is utilized for a single export only. 
  11. The invoice document (PDF) and the invoice's structural data (EXCEL) are submitted digitally to the CARGO X Blockchain platform together.
  12. Each invoice, if there are several, is sent in a unique electronic envelope including a unique document and structural data. 
  13. A fresh electronic envelope with the same (ACID) number must contain any updated or new files that need to be transmitted again. 
  14. The carrier is required to write the (ACID) number on both the manifest and the MBL. 

Required documents for creating an ACI file:

  • Commercial Invoice
  • Packing list
  • The BILL OF LADING
  • Certificate of Origin
  • Shipper CARGO x details
  • All additional documents will be uploaded following an ACID problem

What is THE BLOCKCHAIN SYSTEM – CARGO X

The Cargo X platform allows you to transfer ownership of papers like title deeds and other documents that have been encrypted to the highest level Information System.

Since its foundation is a public, impartial blockchain, a complete privacy entity of data, identity, and business relationship privacy may be guaranteed. An audit record of operations can be viewed only by participants.

The Advance Cargo Information System's blockchain document transfer gateway is Cargo X, according to Misr Technology Services. The organization that manages Egypt's national single window for cross-border trade.

CARGO X blockchain's steps

Exporters to Egypt must take the following actions:

Step 1: Exporter needs to register at https://cargox.digital/login for (THE BLOCKCHAIN SYSTEM - CARGOX).

Step 2: The exporter will select the CARGO X account by clicking on “GET VERIFIED”.

Step 3: Select the payment package that will be sent.

Step 4: An invoice from Cargo X is mailed to the exporter.

Step 5: Make a bank transfer payment to Cargo X Platform.

Step 6: Give your ID number and registration number to the importer after your account has been verified.

Step 7: Provide your contact data (complete name, national ID number, phone number, and email) to the importer for the person in charge of the CARGO X registration.

Step 8: An ACID number from (NAFEZA) will be provided to you by the importer.

Step 9: The exporter must include this ACID number and any other pertinent data on the shipment documents (B/L, packing list, invoice, and C/O).

Step 10: The exporter loads the structural data from the invoice onto (Cargo X) (excel sheet). Then scans the source documents as PDF files.

Step 11: Provide the importer with the originals.

What does the term "electronic signature" mean?

It is a digital approach that allows data proving the precise and immutable identification of the document signer to be linked to the document.

Automation systems use electronic signatures to validate documents transferred back and forth between system users. 

The electronic signature approach is used in government services delivered over the Internet as well as financial, commercial, and administrative transactions.

What benefits can electronic signatures offer?

  • Providing indisputable proof of the signer's identity.
  • using the "encryption" method and comparing the message's sent fingerprint. as well as the application of the message's fingerprint. And that's to protect the information in the papers from modification or alteration during the system users' trade procedure.
  • Keeping unauthorized people away from digitally signed documents.

How to activate the (NAFEZA) system's electronic signature service?

  1. Ask any company authorized to provide the service for an electronic signature certificate (e-Token). 
  2. Purchase the e-Token, or electronic signature device, from the service provider. 
  3. Access the computer's electronic gateway for the electronic signature unit (e-Token) and the NAFEZA system. 
  4. Click the “Sign Document” button that appears on different screens to sign documents with your signature.