Egypt will link all future export incentives and “burden-reduction” programmes to measurable numerical targets and performance indicators (KPIs), Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Mohamed Farid said on Wednesday.

The move marks a shift toward a “disciplined partnership” between the state and the private sector, where government support is strictly tied to production capacity increases, employment rates, and the penetration of specific foreign markets. 

“There are no incentives without measurable, verifiable, and monitorable numerical targets,” Farid said during a four-hour meeting with heads of 13 export councils. “Today’s meeting is merely a launch towards a future based on implementation, monitoring, and accountability based solely on targets.”

The discussions, held just 72 hours after the new cabinet was sworn in, included Industry Minister Khaled Hashem and officials from the General Organisation for Export and Import Control and the Egyptian Commercial Service.

Hashem stated that the Industry Ministry is working to “deepen local manufacturing” and increase the proportion of local components within production chains. The strategy aims to raise the competitiveness of Egyptian products while simultaneously reducing the national import bill.

Farid noted that the government intends to link the financial sector—specifically non-banking financial services—to the industrial sector to provide “innovative financing solutions.” He added that the expansion into African markets remains a primary pillar for sustainable growth and improving macroeconomic indicators.

The meeting established an executive framework for a new phase of export management. Following the general session, the ministry plans to hold specialized, shorter meetings with individual export councils to set specific digital targets for each sector.

Representatives from the export councils presented several requirements to facilitate this growth, including:

  • Providing necessary funding for industrial expansion, specifically for the electric vehicle industry.
  • Upgrading machinery and production lines in the printing, packaging, and paper sectors.
  • Attracting long-term investments to the medical sector to leverage Egypt’s scientific research capabilities.
  • Implementing “smart management” of foreign competition in the textiles and garment industry.
  • Establishing training centres for the leather and footwear industry to meet international quality standards.

Further demands included the development of automated slaughterhouses, the modernization of the Robbiki Leather City, and establishing partnerships with international fashion centres. The councils also called for the upgrading of the quarrying system to support agricultural exports and building materials.

The meeting saw participation from heads of councils representing ready-made garments, chemicals and fertilisers, food industries, engineering and electronics, furniture, and real estate, among others.

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