Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail called on the government on Friday to put together an urgent plan to secure the country's needs of strategic commodity reserves for at least the next six months. Ismail requested, in a statement released by the cabinet, to provide the required funds to implement this plan. He said, during a meeting held Friday, that the provision of goods and keeping prices unchanged has become a strategic and national goal, so as to meet the needs of citizens in all provinces, especially in Upper Egypt's villages. He pointed out that the government should provide enough commodities, in addition to existing amounts, adding that the halt of exporting rice is still valid. He also called on tightening control over border crossings and ports. The cabinet's statement mentioned that the minister of supply stated that "there are sufficient amounts and contracts for basic and strategic commodities." The statements came amid the current economic crisis facing Egypt, due to the severe shortage of US dollars needed to import food and energy.
