Egypt's Ministry of Supply and Domestic Trade has declared a state of emergency ahead of Eid.
Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, head of the ministry’s trade and distribution department, said Minister Mohamed Abu Shady ordered control authorities to confront black markets and food smuggling during the festival.
Abdel Aziz added that the ministry agreed to provide basic commodities during Eid with discounts ranging from 15 to 20 percent. He also said that state bakeries will be open during working hours beforehand.
Officials at the health and agriculture ministries will form a central operations chamber to follow developments in the market, he said.
The ministries' operations room will work throughout the day on receiving citizens’ complaints.
Abdel Aziz ruled out the possibility of fuel shortages during Eid, adding that the government will pump additional supply into the market to meet demand.
Mamdouh Abbas, head of the ministry’s domestic trade sector, said campaigns will also be launched to combat commercial fraud.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
