CAIRO-Despite the rising prices of foodstuffs on the local market, particularly those of sugar and wheat, Egyptians spend LE13.3 billion on food and beverages alone during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, a senior Government official has said. Abu Bakr el-Gendi, the head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), said that a recent study shows that the Egyptian households' expenditures on food and beverages alone during Ramadan reach a total of LE13.3 billion. The Egyptians spend more than LE81.9 million on ice-cream each year, where as they buy sunflower seeds, benuts and soda pops worth LE2.3 billion per annum, Abu Bakr said, citing a recent CAPMAS study. The study, he continued, has revealed that the Egyptians spend LE144.5 million on death related activities such as funerals and mouring marquees each year. Spending by the average Egyptian family has risen by 50 per cent since the start of this year, he said.
