Refunding all the taxes and customs duties on exported goods comes within the framework of government's commitment to providing all the necessary facilities for exports, easing burdens on exporters and producers, encouraging local industries, and furthering financial reforms, the minister said. All relevant legislations are designed with a view to avoiding any unnecessary tax burdens on the exported goods, Dr. Ghali pointed out. For instance, customs laws provide for refunding customs duties, exports taxes and other types of duties on exports, he explained. The same applies to the sales tax law.

Dr. Ghali added that he had given instructions to Tax and Customs authorities to facilitate fee reimbursement to exporters in general. There are specialized departments in the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) in charge of tax refunding, he pointed out.

The Ministry of Finance has already introduced a legislative amendment to Resource Development Law (No. 90/2004) during the discussion of the State general budget law. The amendment allows direct repayment of fees to exporters, rather than the Exports Development Fund (EDF), used in early 2010 as a mechanism to refund development fees (the mechanism provided subsidies to buses exports, equivalent to the development fee paid earlier), Dr. Ghali added.