The Chairman of the Joint Libyan-Egyptian Economic Chamber and the Chairman of the Tobruk Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Ibrahim Al-Jarari, participated last Saturday in the meeting of Libyan and Egyptian businessmen held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in the presence of the representative of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry for Libyan affairs.
Effort to implement several previous recommendations
Commenting on the meeting and its results, Al-Jarari said, in an exclusive interview with Libya Herald, “Holding this meeting comes within the efforts of the Libyan-Egyptian Economic Chamber to implement several previous recommendations regarding increasing the level of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. It also comes within efforts to implement the recommendations of previous meetings with the Egyptian side of Merchants, chambers of commerce, and official bodies, most notably reducing the fees imposed on Libyan travellers heading to Egypt for treatment, hospitalization, study, or trade on repeated trips a year.
Egypt imposes fees on Libyan travellers and hours of waiting
Al-Jarari pointing out that the Egyptian authorities impose financial fees on Libyans in the Egyptian currency as well as in the US dollar, which increases travel costs for Libyan citizens in addition to the suffering they face at the Egyptian Salloum border crossing. The crossing process lasts for long hours without any convincing reason, he added, especially since the Libyan traveller heads to Egypt for trade, study or treatment. The traveller is committed to implementing the procedures imposed by the Egyptian authorities at the border crossing, as well as paying the fees imposed by the Egyptian side, and no violations or serious legal violations have been recorded against Libyans.
Call on Egypt to activate 1990 agreement on travel
Accordingly, Al-Jarari called on the Egyptian side to cancel these fees and the necessity of activating the agreement concluded between the two countries in 1990, which allows the Libyan citizen to enter Egypt with his own car, as well as allowing Libyan ambulances carrying patients to Egyptian hospitals to enter Egyptian territory without complications. He also called for a solution to the problem of the automobile clubs and activating the role of the Libyan Automobile Club so that all Libyan citizens can benefit from this service provided and enter Egypt with private cars with ease.
Efforts to develop bilateral trade
Regarding commercial cooperation, Al-Jarari noted the effort made by businessmen in the two countries, members of the Joint Libyan-Egyptian Economic Chamber, in order to activate and develop trade between the two countries and raise the level of trade and investment exchanged. Efforts are also being made to facilitate the work of Egyptian contracting and construction companies in reconstruction and infrastructure projects inside Libya, especially in cities and areas affected by last September’s Storm Daniel.
Positive response
Al-Jarari stressed the positive response of the Egyptian side, including chambers of commerce, businessmen, and official bodies, with regard to facilitating transit procedures at the Salloum border crossing, and seeking with the competent Egyptian authorities to reduce the fees imposed on Libyan travellers, in addition to facilitating commercial transit movement and preventing the accumulation of goods in the Egyptian customs warehouses at the border crossing.
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