- Sooner the second package to activate the economy to implement all programs committed to by the government

 - FY 2014/2015 budget takes into account the constitutional obligations to increase spending on health and education programs

- There is no need for customs  new law but some amendments to harsher  sanctions and develop legal basis for subsequent review

- Alex's visit aimed to survey employees opinion poll concerning the required procedures to improve work  environment and services provided for the public

Minister of Finance , Dr. Ahmed Galal declared the nearly determination of projects ,and amount of the second financial package to activate economy  to be concluded  to fund all new  government's programs such as increasing  minimum wages to EGP 1200 from  next January  and doctors cadre , besides other programs and projects their details are being agreed on at the present time.

As for maximum wage, the Minister announced the issuance of strict instructions to all public entities to emphasize on abiding by the cabinet decision which determines the maximum to reach EGP 42.000, indicating that a committee comprises  several ministry including Ministries of Finance , Communications and Administrative Development to develop a real mechanism to control its implementation , will be announced next January 2014.     

He said that both Ministries of Finance and Social Solidarity  are currently working together to disengage  financial tangles between Ministry of Finance ,Social Insurance Authority and the National Investment Bank ,its details will be announced immediately  upon completion of all arrangements.   

He pointed out that such efforts are included in procedures of disengagement  financial tangles between public bodies , such as Ministries of Petroleum and Electricity , where it had been agreed that Ministry of Finance will pay EGP 1100 per month directly for Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation against  the power plant consumption from fuel  .  Ministry of Finance intervened in coordination with the Central Bank of Egypt to solve the problem of the foreign partner arrears for the petroleum sector. $ 1.5 billion  have already been paid.  

The Minister announced that foreign partners are committed to pumb about $ 15 billion  , new investments for research and exploration for oil and gas in Egypt over the next few years and that will contribute in increasing productivity of Egypt's petroleum products , reducing  the imports and this leading ease pressure on foreign currencies ,as well as  the total subsidy.

This was during a press conference held by  Minister of Finance yesterday evening at the close of his tour to a number of revenues directorates affiliated to Ministry of Finance in Alex.

In response to a question regarding customs draft law , the Minister indicated that the ministry sees no need for new customs law but such matter requires some legislative amendments, especially in relation to harsher sanctions of smuggling , in addition to develop legal basis for subsequent review ,allowing customs authority to review previous processes of customs release and make sure that there are no violations ,  in addition to the expansion in using scanning dequipment  and other technological means to strongly control  the international trade of Egypt.

He indicated that the proposed amendments will be discussed with relative parties of customs to ensure  its development properly ,to achieve aims of tighten control on public money such as customs and taxes, and at the same time  facilitating exports and imports , reduce the time of custom release that reaches to half an hour in  logistic centres, visited by the Minister.

The Minister assured the continued freezing of sales tax amendments  issued by the  presidential decree by the former president and had not  been activated since then. He also indicated that the Ministry is preparing a new draft VAT law to sales tax law in order to solve  all  currently comments and problems in tax community .Concerning the 2014/2015 budget trends , the Minister declared that the new budget which its manual of rules is being prepared  will witness the first implementation of the new Egyptian constitution trends, if approved particularly spending on education and health, as the new constitution obliged the government to raise spending on both sectors to specific ratios of Egypt's national income during two transitional fiscal years.

He also said that such obligation is consistent with the current government trends seeks to raise spending levels on human development to the nearest spending levels at Egypt's peer countries. Most of the first financial package which aims to activate economy dedicated to strength the health sector allocations ,while the second package aims to implement doctors cadre , from which all employees working at health sector will benefit .

The Minister indicated that the government is keen on ensuring that such increase  in public expenditure will lead to significant improvement in public services , especially in both education and health sectors . He also indicated that the Ministry of Finance asked the relative ministries to take measures and procedures ensuring the improvement of services.

As for  the main goal of his inspection tour , the Minister ensured that the coming phase will witness number of  important legislative amendments  along with changes in  work methodology of the ministry's authorities upholding technology to achieve mutations in provision  of services for citizens and more control over public money , the matter that needs more communication with the executives in these authorities who deal directly with citizens to recognize their point of views concerning these steps and the required measures for achieving this aim.

He also said that he listened many  good ideas and suggestions in this field , the most prominent is the need to legislative amendments to raise the value of financial fines through the economic laws, as they are no longer in line with the current economic changes as they have no effect on violators.

Concerning the smart cards for distributing petroleum materials , the Minister confirmed on the government's attention to implement this project quickly as one of the important control mechanisms on  distributing petroleum materials as well as ensuring that the subsidy will not leakage outside Egypt . He noted that the project management realized a great achievement and now cards are being issued for owners of cars and other vehicles using gasoline and solar as a first step for using smart cards all over Egypt .

In response to a question about the reasons for delaying implementing the first financial package projects , the Minister emphasize that the performance indicators of the current FY, second quarter demonstrates the increase of general investments injection ratios.  He noted that Ministry of Finance provided EGP billion 18 from the total package value to the National Investment Bank and Ministry of Planning for accelerating projects  implementation to achieve economy activation and create  more job opportunities.

At the end of its tour, the Minister saluted the employees working at Tax and Customs authorities and the employees of financial directorates all over Egypt, as he praised their efforts for facilitating services for citizens , asking them to exert more efforts for controlling public money and performing their duties towards Egypt in such circumstances