Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli stressed the need for continuous monitoring of efforts to ensure the availability of essential commodities and products in markets nationwide in adequate quantities and at affordable prices.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining safe strategic reserves of these commodities to cover extended periods and meet citizens’ needs.
Madbouli highlighted President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives to this effect.
Th prime minister presided over a meeting held on Tuesday at the government headquarters in New Alamein City to review efforts to ensure the availability of various essential commodities and increase strategic stocks.
The meeting was attended by Supply and Internal Trade Minister, Sherif Farouk, Agriculture and Land Reclamation Minister, Alaa Farouk, Vice President of the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), Moustafa Ismail, and Khaled Salah, representing the Future of Egypt for Sustainable Development, and Industry Minister Khaled Hashem, who joined the meeting via video conference.
Discussions reviewed the ministries’ efforts and co-ordination with relevant authorities to ensure the availability of various essential commodities and products and maintain stocks sufficient for extended periods, as per the directives of President Sisi to build secure and adequate strategic reserves, Cabinet Spokesperson Mohamed El-Homsani said.
Such efforts aim at regulating markets and achieving greater price stability, he added.
The meeting also highlighted the commodities and products supplied through fixed and mobile outlets operated by ministries and relevant authorities nationwide, in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices.
These efforts have so far contributed to greater stability for consumers and lower prices of a number of commodities, including sugar, which currently sells for around LE28 per kilogram, compared with more than LE50 per kilogram several years ago.
In addition, the meeting reviewed in detail the annual sugar production and the available strategic stocks, with officials confirming that the country has sufficient strategic reserves of the essential commodity to cover a full year.
Spokesman El-Homsani added that the meeting addressed efforts to ensure the availability of raw materials for various food industries, with the aim of attracting further investment to this important sector and encouraging increased production of essential food commodities.
The efforts are also intended to achieve self-sufficiency in strategic commodities and support the establishment of strong partnerships with private-sector institutions, strengthening their role and facilitating greater participation in development and economic activities.
El-Homsani said the meeting underscored the need to continue monitoring market activity and the availability of various commodities and products by intensifying inspection campaigns.
The campaigns aim to ensure greater market discipline, prevent attempts to exploit consumers and safeguard their rights, while stressing the important of taking strict action against any violations or manipulation by traders to protect consumers and promote greater transparency in commercial transactions.
In this regard, the meeting highlighted expanded inspection campaigns carried out by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade in co-operation and co-ordination with relevant authorities to regulate markets and ensure the availability of commodities and products in appropriate quantities and at affordable prices.
Particular attention has recently been given to bakeries, with inspection campaigns aimed at ensuring compliance with officially prescribed bread weights and prices.
