As though endless bread queues weren't enough, now the government has to deal with a shortage of cooking gas cylinders, Reem Leila reports While the government tries hard to reduce the long queues of fuming citizens at bakeries selling subsidised bread, it has been alarmed by an acute shortage of another subsidised commodity, namely cooking gas cylinders. The current scarcity of cooking gas cylinders has given rise to a flourishing black market, which puts a price tag of LE18 or LE20 on each canister, which not too long ago cost just LE3. For many residential areas, cooking gas is the only source of energy for cooking and heating water. Although the Petroleum Gas Company (Petrogas), the largest producer of cooking gas cylinders, turns out one million canisters per day and production by other private companies is estimated at approximately another 200,000, the market continues to suffer a shortage. Abdel-Alim Taha, chairman of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), does not believe that the price hike is due to a real shortage, since many houses and factories already use natural gas. However, figures show that the natural gas network covers only around 16 per cent of energy consumption, with a full 10 per cent in Cairo and six per cent in Alexandria. In Daqahliya governorate several people have been injured during fights in queues to get the cylinders. Distributors are accused of selling the cylinders to unofficial middlemen, who in turn sell them at LE20 each. Local residents of three villages in the governorate were forced to go to the city of Mansoura to buy the cylinders given the shortage in their own villages. The Supply Bureau confiscated 4,780 cylinders on the black market and filed complaints against facilities which were using the cylinders for purposes other than those for which they are intended. The main reason for the shortage, according to Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi, is the corruption associated with the distribution of the cooking gas cylinders. Meselhi has been quoted as saying that this corruption will not end unless the whole distribution system is restructured. He says the illegal use of the cooking gas cylinders has extended to the villages where the farmers use them for heating poultry farms due to the increase in diesel fuel prices. Meselhi said intensive search campaigns are currently being conducted on poultry farms, adding that he would penalise those who use the cylinders for heating purposes. "Each distributor will be having a name tag to identify them, those who do not carry this name tag are to be severely punished," stated Meselhi. For its part, Petrogas said it increased distributor quotas of cylinders to face the increase in consumption in winter, pointing out that the daily consumption is about 2.1 million cylinders. According to a press release issued by Petrogas, the chairman of the company has promised to increase production by nine per cent to face the shortage, although he believes "it is a matter of monopoly and poor distribution by cooking gas vendors who are trying to foster a black market to increase their profits." This in turn means that the state subsidy of cooking gas, estimated at LE1 billion annually "does not go to those who deserve it", stated the press release. Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmi has meanwhile asked the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and heads of oil and marketing companies to adopt short- and long-term plans to increase outlets of marketing petrol to help end the daily queues in front of warehouses. Until then the problem continues. In Sharqiya governorate, a gas cylinder costs LE20. Some 500 residents gathered in front of a warehouse of cooking gas cylinders in protest against the shortage. In Beni Sweif, people said getting a cooking gas cylinder has become the stuff of dreams. And in Sohag, cylinders have become a rare sight as well. Some people have reported needing brokers to get one. And rows have broken out among people lining up.
