New outlets for the sale of subsidized food will open within weeks, the government announced Thursday.
Malak Georges, the Agriculture Ministry's production sector head, said the new outlets will open in Cairo, Giza, and some Upper Egypt governorates.
The outlets will sell subsidized agricultural commodities, meat, fish, poultry, dates, and dairy products at a discounted price sufficient to cover the cost of labor, according to Georges.
Subsidized meat is sold for LE40 to LE44 per kilo, while the market price is LE70, said Georges.
He acknowledged that existing outlets do not meet the needs of consumers, saying they were not meant to supply the entire market, but rather served as a means for the government to engage the private sector in meeting the country’s food challenges.
Georges went on to say that the expansion of subsidized outlets is part of an integrated policy to break up monopolies on some food commodities and to prevent the "commercial greed" of those seeking the greatest possible profits without regard for the social consequences.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
