On the sidelines of his visit to the British capital London to head the Egyptian delegation in the elections of the International Maritime Organization اThe Minister of Transport holds an extensive meeting with the delegations of more than 10 companies belonging to the British Maritime Industries Association specialized in port infrastructure, piers, digital technology, marine consultancy and management systems and operation of multi-purpose stations
Minister of Transport Kamel Al-Wazir held an extensive meeting with the delegations of more than 10 companies of the British Maritime Industries Association, which includes a large number of British companies specialized in port infrastructure, piers, digital technology, marine consultancy and management systems and operation of multi-purpose stations to review investment opportunities in the field of Maritime Transport in Egypt and discussed the possibility of joint cooperation between the two sides in this important vital area At the beginning of the meeting, Minister of Transport Lt. Gen. Kamel Al-Wazir confirmed Egypt has (15) sea ports, (6) ports on the Mediterranean Sea and (9) ports on the Red Sea. The development and growth in the volume of world trade has led to an increase in demand for transport services and the need to develop them through an integrated system that includes operations. Multi-modal transport, pointing out that the Ministry of Transport is currently implementing an integrated strategy to develop the maritime transport system with its components through five main axes: (maritime ports, maritime fleet, activities and services, roads and railways, human element) and that in the light of this strategy is under preparation To develop Egyptian seaports He added that the development is not limited to ports to develop the infrastructure only, but extends to include information infrastructure and automation procedures within the ports and linking all devices operating within the port community through a single system to activate a one-stop system to facilitate the dealers with the port and linking them with logistics centers at the state level in addition to development Insurance and maritime safety procedures through means of pilotage and deepening in the various waterways He pointed out that for the development of maritime ports, the development of Egyptian maritime ports both on the Mediterranean / Red Sea such as (Damietta - Alexandria - Safaga Hurghada - Nuweiba - East Port Said - Ain Sokhna) and includes the development (the establishment of new berths - deepening shipping lanes - the development of infrastructure - Supply of new locomotives (referring to the announcement by the Ministry of Transport several months ago of a package of incentives and facilities for the maritime transport industry) in line with the State's policy aimed at increasing flexibility and speed in responding to the mechanisms of the global maritime market with respect to all activities carried out in ports. For Egypt, where the Ministry of Transport issued a resolution 416 to amend resolutions 488 on port fees and resolution 417 to amend resolution 800 on the exercise of activities within seaports, these decisions include the provision of a package of incentives and reductions of up to 45% on the fees of navigational aids and lighthouses to reduce the bills for services provided to ships The new incentives include simplifying the procedures required by the traders or those engaged in activities related to maritime transport and ports. The Minister of Transport reviewed the investment opportunities in the Egyptian seaports, where he confirmed that there are investment opportunities in Damietta port through the multi-purpose terminal, pointing out that in September 2019 Damietta Port Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with a European investor EUROGATE & Contship Italia to establish, manage and operate the second container terminal. Damietta Port, adding that Alexandria Port has promising investment opportunities and that the project to establish "Berth 55" in Alexandria Port is one of the most important projects, which the Ministry of Transport is establishing in the field of maritime transport as Alexandria Port is one of the most important Egyptian ports. Through it. He pointed out that the timber berth is of great importance as the Minister explained that it is planned to establish 3 new stations with full berths in Dekheila port and there are investment opportunities in Safaga port such as the multi-purpose station. Responding to questions from the audience about the development of the Suez Canal, the minister said that the Suez Canal has been doubled with a new parallel channel to reduce the crossing time of the Canal by 11 hours and that the channel plays a major role in facilitating the movement of global trade between East and West in addition to dredging and deepening the waterway to a depth of 24 meters Navigation and means of guidance and towing along the canal to be a global corridor allowing the passage of giant ships Then, the Minister of Transport reviewed the plan of implementing a network of dry ports and logistic areas, where an integrated plan has been prepared for the establishment of (7) dry ports and logistic areas at the level of the Republic and linking them to the railways to contribute to achieving. (Preventing the accumulation of goods and containers in seaports, supporting the Egyptian national economy by increasing the revenues achieved, facilitating the movement of domestic and foreign trade, reducing the high cost of transporting goods, improving the level of logistics services provided, achieving integration between the various internal and external means of transport) Eng. Yehia Zaki, Chairman of Suez Canal Economic Zone, reviewed the investment opportunities in the region, pointing out that it is a promising area thanks to its policies, geography and incentives. A number of companies expressed interest in investing in maritime transport in Egypt, whether in the management and operation of multi-purpose terminals or in the field of commercial ships. 28/11/2019