The Ministry of Supply and Internal and Domestic Trade has a plan to obtain a six-month strategic supply of food commodities, according to minister Mohamed Ali Moselhi. He said that, over the course of a week, the ministry is conducting international tenders to increase the $800m allocated in funding by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) through meetings with heads of sectors and affiliates. The minister called heads of directorates to follow up with goods balances that are delivered daily to governorates, and to monitor any shortages of food commodities and supply rations. He asked for their cooperation in covering citizens requirements in supply goods and to communicate with the Holding Company for Food Industries and its subsidiaries in case of any shortage. Moselhi disclosed that the recent economic decisions raised the subsidy budget to EGP 49bn for supply commodities and bread. In the past three months, the ministry has provided 170,000 tonnes more sugar through its outlets than usual. The ministry has also provided 35,000 tonnes of rice to its outlets, consumer complexes, and supply shops. A further 75,000 tonnes of rice will be received and delivered to outlets. The ministry is posing domestic and global tenders to compose a strategic supply of at least 50,000 tonnes of rice. In his meeting with heads of directorates, Moselhi issued instructions to wholesale companies to provide remote governorates with supply rations, at 15% of its share of basic commodities. Moselhi asked heads of directorates to intensify regulatory campaigns to ensure that quantities of these goods are distributed in exchange for bread points on subsidy cards, after allowing them to purchase these points from the private sector. The ministry will create advanced commercial chains in the provinces, according to the latest international standards and the expansion of logistics' projects that help to reduce the circulation loops to keep commodity prices from rising.
