The new system currently covers Customs and Tax collections, payment of government employee pensions and salaries, as well as dues of suppliers dealing with government's bodies, the minister pointed out.

The new system comes within the framework of government efforts to improve the investment climate in Egypt and the facilities provided to private sector companies via reducing the time and frequency of visiting various government bodies to pay taxes and customs due to the Public Treasury. This will positively reflect on Egypt's ranking on international business indexes, as well as the management of State General Budget financial flows, and will assist in producing more comprehensive and accurate statistical reports on economic activities in Egypt, he added.

Under the new e-system, 1.5 million e-cards have been issued to approximately 3 million pensioners and their relatives. Those are the people who received pensions (L.E 3.74 b.) at social insurance offices between July 2009 and the end of October 2010.

On the other hand, about 800,000 cards has been issued to government employees to cash salaries and other payments, and about 500,000 cards are now being printed to be delivered to workers in a number of ministries and government sectors by the end of this year.

This will bring the number of system beneficiaries up to 1.3 m. Salaries which have been electronically paid since project launch amounted to L. E 1.189 b. Training on the new system has been given to1900 accountants (63% of the total accounting manpower at state administrative apparatus).

So far, taxes and customs have been the highest achievers. Out of L.E. 75.171 b in taxes L.E. 1.644 b has been paid online, the remaining part being electronically collected checks. Customs revenues amounted to about L.E. 2.423 b, compared to almost L.E. 59 m, since the system was launched in cooperation with the banking sector.

These services are offered by 18 banks, with more than 1,100 branches throughout Egypt. A number of other projects are currently under development, such as the electronic collection of Real Estate Tax and social insurance subscriptions, and online payment of tuition fees at Cairo University, Ghali added.

(Source: Ministry of Finance)