Egypt, China ink agreements on standards, university hospital cooperation    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt backs Palestinian unity, calls for ceasefire, aid access    EGX ends week in green on July 10    Egyptian pound strengthens against US dollar on July 10    Egypt, China central banks sign pacts to boost yuan use, payment systems    Egypt's EDA, Haleon discuss local market support    Environment ministry signs agreement to strengthen marine protection, promote ecotourism    Egypt, WHO discuss expanding health cooperation, development initiatives    Service restoration underway after Cairo telecom fire, minister tells PM    Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives in Egypt for high-level talks    Gaza under siege, fire: Resistance intensifies amid deepening humanitarian collapse    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, Pakistan boost healthcare ties – Cabinet    UK, Egypt strengthen cooperation on green transition, eco-tourism, and environmental investments    Escalation in Gaza as ceasefire talks remain fragile amid mounting humanitarian crisis    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Egypt's PM, Uruguay's president discuss Gaza, trade at BRICS summit    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger        Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt's GAH, Spain's Konecta discuss digital health partnership    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



‘We want bread'
Published in Al-Ahram Weekly on 09 - 03 - 2017

Hundreds took to the streets in governorates across Egypt on Tuesday to protest against reductions in daily quotas of subsidised baladi bread. Some beneficiaries of subsidised bread were able to purchase just three loaves per person rather than the designated five leading to rumours bread subsidies were being cut. “We want to live, we want bread,” was one of the chants raised by the protesters.
Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali Moselhi clarified the situation during a press conference on Tuesday. He explained that most people now access their subsidised bread quota via smart cards. Bakeries, meanwhile, are issued with Golden Cards to provide those who do not have a smart card but still carry paper cards with subsidised bread through a separate quota.
On Sunday it was decided to cut Golden card allocations of subsidised loaves to just 500 a day, meaning bakeries could provide enough bread for 100 paper card holders. Before Sunday bakeries had been providing between 1,500 and 6,000 loaves daily. According to the ministry, the reduction was made because the vast majority of citizens have already been issued with smart cards.
It is estimated users of paper ration cards now number less than 300,000, yet according to Moselhi, loaves distributed through the Golden Card system accounted for up to 20 per cent of the total of subsidised bread in some governorates.
Problems caused by the change were felt most in Alexandria and Giza where the highest number of paper cards still circulate. After apologising to anyone who could not get their full quota of bread Moselhi promised to raise the number of loaves covered by the Golden Card in governorates where the number of paper cards still in use is high. He also promised all paper cards will have been replaced by smart cards by the end of March.
Moselhi sat down on Tuesday with stakeholders from various governorates to discuss how to implement the changes.
“Now a problem has emerged we are prioritising finding a solution,” said Moselhi. He stressed that building a reliable data base, securing the smart card system and streamlining distribution networks for bread subsidies are essential if the system is to work efficiently. He added the government has no intention of slashing bread, food or Butane gas subsidies.
According to Moselhi, 360 million subsidised loaves are produced daily, and while the decision to reduce Golden Card loaves was not intended to cut the daily quota for smart card holders some bakeries attempted to make up the losses by distributing fewer loaves per customer.
Alaa Ezz, secretary-general of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, was quoted as saying rumours of cuts to subsidised bread quotas were being deliberately spread to agitate the public.
The smart card system was introduced in 2014. It gives holders the right to LE21 worth of subsidised goods in addition to a daily quota of five loaves per person. Those who do not use their daily bread quota can exchange it for points that can then be exchanged for goods sold by state-owned retailers.


Clic here to read the story from its source.