By Ashraf Sadek: CAIRO, July 11, 2018 - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi Wednesday instructed the government to continue controlling market prices, combatting fraudulent practices, and offering subsidised basic foods to the rightful recipients. The president issued the instructions during a meeting with Prime Minister Dr Moustafa Madbouli, the ministers of defence, the interior, justice, finance, supply, tourism and agriculture, and the director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Authority and the head of the Administrative Control Authority. During the meeting, the president stressed the importance of protecting the rights of citizens, increasing the amount of subsidies offered to them and providing basic commodities to citizens at affordable prices, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said. The measures adopted by the Ministry of Supply to reform the distribution system and put an end to any problems, were also discussed during the meeting, the spokesman added. The minister of supply told the meeting that his ministry was reviewing the databases of the system. He added that the databases would be updated every day through safe cards and a proper data network. These measures would largely contribute to protecting the rights of the deserving recipients as well as to reforming the distribution system for subsidised basic commodities, Ambassador Radi said. The meeting also reviewed the latest measures adopted by the ministry for providing basic commodities to citizens and making sufficient quantities available at the government's mobile and fixed outlets, Spokesman Radi said. President Sisi said it was necessary to conduct a daily follow-up of the implementation of the measures required to control and monitor the markets. That, the president said, would contribute to providing commodities in adequate amounts and ensuring the availability of the highest quality commodities at the best price. During the meeting, President Sisi gave directives to the government to keep up efforts to upgrade the quality of potable water and increase public awareness of the need to rationalise water consumption, Ambassador Radi said The president also reviewed with the ministers the latest developments pertaining to a set of ongoing projects for building new water treatment and sea-water desalination facilities nationwide. Work on these projects was progressing well according to a pre-set timetable, Ambassador Radi said in his round-up of the meeting. Minister of Tourism Rania el-Mashat submitted to the president a report on the steps that had been taken to develop the tourism sector as a whole, Presidency Spokesman Radi said. The report showed that her ministry was making a great effort and was working on providing more and improved facilities to attract more tourists in the future. Minister Mashat said that she was keen to increase the quality and efficiency of the country's tourist destinations and to increase investment in the human factor to ensure a happy experience for tourists in Egypt, a matter that encourages them to return. A recent ministry report has indicated that Egypt witnessed a remarkable increase in tourist numbers in 2017, which is a promising indication that the sector is improving. The meeting also reviewed the latest developments pertaining to the economic reform programme, which the government launched two years ago. The newly-appointed Finance Minister, Dr Mohamed Maeet, pledged that he would continue achieving the objectives of the economic reform programme in accordance with the presidential directives. President Sisi confirmed the importance of keeping up the government's efforts to boost the economy and maintain monetary stability.
