The Minister of Finance: Revision of the economic reform program will be concluded next week and presented to the cabinet.

Continuous communications with the IMF and we are going to invite the mission soon.

New mechanisms to facilitate payment of taxes including personal e-mails, telephones and post offices.

Increasing number of the banks’ branches that participate in E-Payment system, up to1845 branch across Egypt.

Payment of taxes and costums duties in large customers’ offices through the CPS system, many banks and companies already start to use the new system.

Mr. Mamdouh Omar: continuation of the measures securing proceeds based on E-Payment.

Osma Tawakol: who does not have a bank account can utilize the provided facilities through cash payment in banks.

Ibrahim Sarhan: encrypted and safe channels in cooperating with the largest web of the banks' branches to ease the payment of taxes.

Dr. Al Morsy Hegazy, the Minister of Finance confirmed the resumption of consultations between Egypt and the IMF at all levels; denying that the IMF mission’s visit has been postponed indefinitely, as the mission has not been yet invited, waiting for concluding the revision of the economic and social reform program, in light of the developments witnessed in Egypt and the results of the community debate regarding the program and the recent package of tax amendments.

The Minister of Finance also explained that revising the program would be concluded by the beginning of the next week to be presented to the economic group and the cabinet, to appoint the date of the fund mission's visit.

Concerning the provision of tax returns, the Minister said that taxpayers will provide them according to the current tax law, and not to the last tax amendments, that have been frozen.

The Minister of Finance announced that there will be a number of facilities for taxpayers, including new collection mechanisms of the due taxes, such as the E-Payment system through taxpayers’ personal e-mails, usage of telephone, as well as the E-Payment system through the26 commercial banks participating in the system and their 1845 branches across Egypt.

The Minister of Finance also said that the cooperation between the Egyptian Tax Authority, E-finance company and the commercial banks participating in E-Payment system will provide the new services starting from the current season of tax return provision, which began on 1^st January till end of March for individual income tax returns, and till end of April for corporate.

The Minister gave the previous statement during opening the second conference on the E-Payment of the due taxes which is organized by E-finance Company in cooperating with the Egyptian Tax Authority. Dr.Ahmed Samir, The Minister of Administrative Development, Mr. Mamdouh Omar, the head of the Egyptian Tax Authority, Mr. Mohamed Al Salhawy , head of the Egyptian Customs Authority, Mr. Hasan Abbas, , the head of Real Estate Tax Authority , Mr. Ibrahim Sarhan, the chairman of E-finance, Mr. khaled Abbas, deputy head of Egypt Post and many heads of  commercial banks, representatives of several major trade , industrial and service companies that operate in Egypt, and a number of heads of accountants associations, tax experts , heads of tax areas and directorates.

The Minister of Finance added that the season of filing tax return will also witness activating customs and tax payment system by senior taxpayers offices using CPS system, which allows for customs and tax senior taxpayers to pay all duties and due taxes on their different activities from their headquarters without the need to go to tax directorates or customs outlets or the need to open financial accounts by such outlets in order to use for the release of their shipments in different ports. He pointed out that a number of Egyptian banks have already started to provide such outstanding service to their customers, where they paid customs duties and sales taxes on shipments that reached Alexandria and Ain Sukhna Ports.

He said that the new system will serve about 6 thousand of the major companies operating in the Egyptian market, which already have personal accounts by customs  to use for releasing their shipments, which had forbidden them of taking advantage of at least LE 6 billion (the total balances). However, the new system, cycle of financial flows to these companies will benefit from such funds. 

The Minister called on tax payers to benefit from such facilities and fastly to pay dues to public treasury from taxes and fees to support Egyptian economy, praising the efforts of all Egyptian Tax Authority employees for success of the tax season and achieving the targeted proceeds.

The Minister of Finance praised the current cooperation between the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Administrative Development, the CBE and the commercial banks, as he also praised the participation of the Egyptian Post Authority to E-Payment system.

The Minister said that the true spirit of the 25^th of January   revolution, putting Egypt’s interests before all personal demands, motivated a number of tax commissioners, who participated in the latest demonstrations and sit-ins, to return to their works and resume their duties in helping  taxpayers to write and fill tax returns, and to provide any help they need, as well as participating in campaigns for raising awareness of taxpayers to provide returns and pay tax dues on their activities and to fail in performing such national duty in light of the difficult times currently faced in Egypt.

As for the significant role of government E-Payment system, the head of the Egyptian Tax authority, Mamdouh Omar, said that the system contributed over the past years in helping tax authority to provide outstanding service for its taxpayers, besides its main role in securing tax revenues and even the tax employees themselves in light of the increasing security risks which the country faces, as well as cash trading risks in normal conditions such as wrongly counting, accidents of money forgery and theft.

Omar said that the Egyptian Tax Authority is keen to continue in implementing tax revenue security mechanisms, and first of all E-Payment methods, tax directorates accept only little amounts, if necessary.

He pointed out that all taxpayers can benefit from E-Payment services even those who haven't bank accounts, whereas the participating banks' branches have specific places for E-Payment, known as "e-finance" system, this requires providing the taxpayer’s file number in order to help the bank's official to check out the due tax amount according to taxpayer's tax return, and after payment, a bank certificate is issued to show the due tax payment.

He mentioned that taxes directorates published a manual includes names and addresses of the commercial banks’ branches participating in the E-payment system, so taxpayers are able to select the nearest branch.

Osama Tawakol, the head of Large Taxpayers Center, noted that the E-payment system contributes clearly in supporting general budget by eliminating the period needed for the collection of general tax revenues in traditional payment methods (cash or checks) , which may be two weeks. Instead of waiting several days until such revenues enter accounts of the Ministry of Finance in the CBE, to use them in budget programs, the E- payment provide the MoF with such revenues immediately, therefore it is possible to use it from the second day of collection, which is positively reflected on liquidity levels available for government, lowering the issuance of treasury bills and notes, reducing the volume of public debt and interest rate in general budget.

With regard to advantages of the taxpayers E-payment, Osama Tawakol confirmed that simplifying the payment process and make it available in about 1845 bank branches, beside the possibility of payment with non-adherence to geographical location of taxpayer’s tax directorate and also providing electronic outlets for taxpayer, who can pay from his office by a secured and encrypted electronic network, as well as speedy registering payment process in taxpayers files, he referred that the E-payment system does not require a taxpayer account  to benefit from its services, as taxpayer can pay in cash in any bank branch.

Also, he mentioned that for more information related to the new service, contact with senior taxpayers’ services on the following numbers: 24724322-3-4 or at the electronic government payment and collection center in the Ministry of Finance, tel.: 38271515 or by mail: Large Taxpayers Center, Al-Hay Al-Asher (tenth quarter), segment 43, block 9, beside Al-Orman schools, or by e-mail: Infi@ltc.gov.eg

Khaled Abbas, deputy head of Egypt Post, said that the post is keen to join the government E-payment system, after the success achieved by through its participation in the pension E-payment system, providing the service to about million pensioners at the end of the current year.

Ibrahim Sarhan, chairman of E-finance company noted that the E-payment system succeeded in the past four years in achieving surplus for the public treasury amounting about LE 500 million annually, as well as achieving  taxes and customs proceeds of LE 300 billion in the past four years. E-payment system makes several advantages for taxpayers such as easy, speedy and safety payment of due taxes and fees, using safe and encrypted electronic channels, available by 1845 branch of 26 commercial banks, and through such branches the customer can pay taxes dues in moments, instead of payment in tax directorates.

He declared that Egypt Post joined the e-payment services for taxes and customs through 1200 post offices all over the country.

Regarding the services presented by e-finance to the Egyptian Tax Authority, Mr. Sarhan said that it includes electronic tax collection system which offers integrated service for electronic income tax and sales collection, as the system operates through infrastructure and electronic network links between payment center and the Ministry of Finance government’s electronic collection managed by e-finance company, all directorates of the Egyptian Tax Authority, the Central Bank of Egypt, branches network of commercial banks participating in the system, and which allows to follow the financial payments track since its payment in the bank branch, till its appearance in the electronic taxpayer file, in addition to the ability of immediately verification of the payment through the Tax Authority’s electronic site on the internet.

He said that this system receives throughout bank branches the taxpayers’ payments amounting more than LE 500 for each payment, also the accumulated outcomes in directorates as result of receiving amounts less than LE 500, mentioning that e-finance company found solutions for the ability to collect small amounts less than LE 500 through the company’s electronic site in cooperation with banks, post offices all over the country, and through  electronic collection points (P.O.S) in coordination with banks

He added that e-finance also cooperates with the Egyptian Tax Authority in tax dues electronic collection system in government accounting units through banking system of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), whereas accounting units be able to pay tax dues by immediately electronic settlement orders and without checks for all kinds of taxes (income, sales, and stamps). Customs Authority can also collect and supply taxes on imports which include sales, commercial & industrial profits, payroll tax, and stamps by using these electronic settlement orders , such system provides accurate and momentary information regarding the details of all financial operations done throughout statements of the accounting unit issued by the electronic system.