Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a meeting Sunday with the Board of Governors and several ministers to review the preparations for the holy month of Ramadan. The meeting focused on ensuring the availability and affordability of essential goods for citizens during the month. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of providing goods in markets and controlling prices, especially as the government is paying great attention to this file. He announced that an agreement was reached with the chambers of commerce and manufacturers to pump large quantities of goods into the markets, which can help balance prices. He also said that the "Welcome Ramadan" exhibitions and the "We Are All One" initiative outlets will be expanded to offer various commodities at reasonable prices. He instructed the formation of a small working group in each governorate, headed by the governor, to follow up on the availability of commodities in markets and the balance of their prices, and to submit a weekly report to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister added that coordination has been made with the concerned authorities to establish exhibitions and provide fixed and mobile outlets to sell basic and strategic commodities in the market at reduced prices. Ali Al-Moselhi, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, said that he is in communication with the governorates and chambers of commerce to ensure that a large number of outlets will make various goods available in the market. He expressed his readiness to provide any goods in the required quantities in the different outlets. Al-Moselhi also said that the current goal is to increase the supply of goods, which will contribute to controlling prices. He added that facilities have been agreed upon with the concerned authorities to ease the movement of goods and commodities between the governorates, which will enhance their availability in the ports. Al-Sayyid Al-Quseir, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, said that his ministry has more than 270 outlets in the governorates, in addition to mobile outlets, that work to provide various goods. Hisham Amna, Minister of Local Development, confirmed that the preparation of the outlets and containers that will offer basic and strategic goods to citizens within the "Welcome Ramadan" exhibition has begun. The Minister said that oversight campaigns are being intensified on all activities through the governorate agencies in coordination with all relevant authorities. He said that regular visits are made to outlets for selling and storing food commodities of various types to ensure that prices are clearly announced and that the quality of commodities is monitored. He also said that the administrative authorities in the districts and villages cooperate with the supervisory authorities regarding traffic and inspection of all shops and bakeries to ensure that discipline is achieved in the markets.
