Min. Of supply Struggles To Absorb Angry Crowds At Ahlan Ramadan Fair

Minister of Supply Struggles To Absorb Angry Crowds At Ahlan Ramadan Fair

Ahlan Ramadan; an annual fair that aims to alleviate the pressure of soaring prices of basic commodities.

The fair is organized in collaboration with the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, and offers basic commodities at discounted rates, almost 30% lower than market prices, to citizens during the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is probably the only time of the year when citizens purchase basic commodities in large quantities, due to the nature of gatherings that occur during the holy month.

The fairs aim to meet the increased demand for food commodities by providing a variety of goods to citizens.

However, when the Minister of Supply and Internal Trading was inaugurating the Ahlan Ramadan Fair in Qalyubia, he was met with a large crowd of angry citizens, due to the staggering and unprecedented increase in prices.

Egypt has witnessed a staggering increase in prices, with an almost 50% increment since the beginning of 2024.

Citizens have reported that increases are now occurring every week, if not daily.

According to a report released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the prices of almost all commodities saw a significant increase in December 2023 compared to December 2022.

The report also detailed the increases, with foodstuffs recording an increase of 60.1% on average, with various items witnessing significant price changes: grains and bread by 44.5%; meat and poultry by 73.7%; fish and seafood by 70.1%; dairy, cheese, and eggs by 55.4%; oils and fats by 27.9%; sugar and sugary foods by 46.7%; and coffee, tea, and cocoa by 57.9%.

The increase in commodity prices is linked to the rising price of the dollar in the black market, which importers are forced to resort to as Egypt continues to struggle with a shortage of hard currency.

The government announced that measures are being taken to alleviate the price crisis by increasing the amount of subsidized sugar and intensifying control measures. 

Just recently the Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce announced that price capping on commodities will be implemented on the first of March.

The implementation of the Ministry of Supply’s decision includes placing the maximum price on the package, starting from the first of next March, and the invoice will include the name of the product, its final price, and the date of the product.

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