Official sources said the government will approve the free trade of the 82% flour that is used in the production of subsidized bread. Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif met with four ministers and decided to keep one price through tenders for the highest specs and lowest price supply.
The meeting in the Smart Village was attended by Minister of Investment Dr. Mahmoud Mohi Eddin, Minister of Trade and Industry Rashid Mohamed Rashid, Minister of Solidarity Dr. Ali el-Meselhi, Minister of Manpower Aisha Abdel Hadi and Ahmed el-Rakaibi, the Chairman of the Holding Company for Food Supply. It was agreed to finance the corporate sector mills if they would not win tenders so as to ensure that the workers are not affected. The free trade will start with 25% of the flour used in the production of subsidized bread, and the government will import the wheat through the Supply Authority. The mills that would win the tenders will supply the flour for the bakeries that may reject it if it was not as per the specs. The Ministry of Solidarity yesterday started the first phase of the 82% flour tender through 30 mills. MP Amr el-Hini, an expert on flour, said the free trade should be comprehensive so that the remaining 75% is not leaked and re-supplied. He added that the new policy will eliminate any monopoly of the flour trade, because the private sector will be threatened if it did not commit. A corporate sector source said the tender system will affect the temporary laborers, doubting that the government would compensate them.
