Dozens of subsidized supply goods distributors staged a protest on Sunday outside the Food Industries Holding Company over the delivery delays. The protesters said only 40 percent of allocated supplies were given to them. They also complained of oil and rice shortages. Oil shortage reached 60 percent compared to 40 percent for rice, the protesters said.
Walid al-Sheikh, head of the union of grocers that distributes supply goods, said the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade did not notify its departments of the August deadline when supplies should have have been distributed to grocers.
"There is no justice in the distribution of supply goods especially since there is a shortage in goods. The shortage in oil reached 58 percent. There are governorates that received only 20 percent of its allocations like Gharbiya, Sharqiya, and Beheira. On the other hand, governorates like Dakahliya, Cairo, Qaliubiya and Giza received about 70 percent of its allocated supplies," said Sheikh.
Sheikh added that the crisis would only grow in September if shortages continue.
Mohamed Abu Shady, Minister of Supply in Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy's cabinet, said that the Cabinet seeks to implement a new system in which citizens would receive supply goods from grocers registered at the ministry as well as independent grocers.
Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, head of the control and distribution sector at the Ministry of Supply, promised to end the deficit in supply commodities in September as the ministry increases efforts to cover shortages in goods such as oil and rice.
