Egyptian customs revenue rose to LE 15.03 billion ($2.6 billion) in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, the daily Al-Alam Al-Youm said on Wednesday, citing Finance Minister Youssef Boutros-Ghali.
Another business newspaper published the same figure for the fiscal year 2009-10.
That would equate to a rise of 6.6 percent, as an economist with an Egyptian investment bank said the government collected duties of LE 14.10 billion for 2008-09.
"The growth in customs duty revenues came despite the amendments in the customs regime exempting 145 commodities," Alia Mamdouh of CI Capital wrote in a note.
Egypt slashed custom tariffs on most commodities soon after a cabinet favoring economic liberalization led by Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif took office in June 2004 and has since continued to reduce tariffs.
The government had forecast customs revenue for 2009-10 of only LE 14.25 billion, the Al-Alam Al-Youm quoted Boutros-Ghali as saying.
