Prison and a fine of 2 million pounds: A package of "consumer protection" measures to confront the greed of merchants

Ayman Hossam, head of the Consumer Protection Agency, revealed the state’s efforts in facing the crisis of high prices globally and the Prime Minister’s directives to all parties to tighten control over the markets and the latest preparations for the month of Ramadan.

Hossam said that the rules of free economy always give the impression that they are against the consumer, but the compulsory price is against the consumer, because it is based on the idea of "one resource" and in the end it leads to monopoly and imposing a specific price and a specific quality, and the world is now heading towards the free economy and abandonedThe idea of household pricing is harmful to the consumer and markets.

He added that the "algebraic price" addresses the supplier, and in order to accept the supplier with this idea, he will automatically reduce quality to reduce cost, and this is what ultimately leads to the exit of most suppliers from the competition and one resource remains and is often (the government) represented in public sector companies.

He stressed that the forced pricing "against the consumer interest" is one saying because of the lack of quality and therefore the price situation will be on the desire of the author, pointing out that the "free economy" and "market control mechanisms" are the two pillars on which free competition is based, and market control mechanisms will beIt is represented in the state sectors, starting with the supervision of quality, through fair circulation and supply chains and available to ensure a fair competition.

The head of the Consumer Protection Agency affirmed that ensuring competition protection is the basis in normal circumstances, which leads to the stability of the markets, and there is a competition protection agency and the prevention of monopolistic practices is entrusted with this matter and monitoring competitive policy in the market and ensuring that there are no blocs from some traders in the markets and preventing monopolistic practices.

He continued that the market is always governed by the policy of supply and demand, and the price is determined under the policy of free economy according to the balance between them.

He pointed to the high prices of oil globally from 55: $ 60 a barrel, this led to the trend towards biofuels, which is cheaper and less in the cost of oil, and biofuels is the extraction of "methanol" from (wheat, cane and grains), which is therefore less expensive than oil, so methanol began inWithdrawing large amounts of human needs from the food basket to produce biofuels, and the basic food basket is what controls global inflation rates.

He pointed out that we are importing a large percentage of our consumption, due to the population explosion and the sources of the limited state, and the population of the valley and the Nile and the talk about reducing the population increase is the focus of the state's interest at the present time.

Market crisis and control traders

The head of the Consumer Protection Agency stressed that the crisis and trafficking in the Russian -Ukrainian war and its exploitation to achieve unfair gains is totally unacceptable and we firmly address the attempts of some unfair merchants to exploit the crisis, stressing that the producer is obligated to determine the price of a proposal to the consumer in the food commodities, and the retailer is obligated to announce this The price, for example: (The sale price for the public for a milk box in the market is 18 pounds) The price must be announced on the package and the dealer is also obligated to sell at this price, taking into account the slight differences in prices for certain geographical areas, but in the case of fundamental differences in prices regarding "goods The slave "only, the citizen must immediately inform the Consumer Protection Agency.

Regarding the exploitation of the crisis and the imprisonment of the commodity from trading, the head of the Consumer Protection Agency affirmed that it is a major crime and its love of 2 million pounds and a year of prison, which is the only article in the Consumer Protection Law 181 of 2018, which has a restricted penalty for freedom, as wellThe punishment is doubled.

He sent a message to crises dealers, wealthy wars and adventurers, saying: “Do not collide with the state in the imprisonment of goods from circulation.” I know very well that the majority of merchants are the honorable patriots.

The head of the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency assured, stressing that the strategic reserves of the state in commodities cover the safety periods and increase, and therefore the ration goods offered by the state were not affected by the difference in prices until now, and the time when the state uses the strategic stock is the crises and is intended to disappear of goods from the markets and not rise Its prices, stressing that there is no geographical point in the country outside the censorship: “There are more than 4,000 catering inspectors at the Ministry of Supply at the level of the 27 governorates, and there is no village that is not available in a supply office.” We have different ways of targeting (geographical targeting - targeting based on communications and complaints ), Calling on the citizens to report any unfair and harmful practices of the consumer.

He added that consumption is 50% over the normal days during the month of Ramadan, and therefore the state is well prepared, and all representatives of the food industries in Egypt were interviewed and are completely reassured and the availability is available in abundance and the size in the market is very reassuring, whether in the reserve or circulating, and “Hello Ramadan” is a major exhibitionIt starts from the exhibition grounds in Nasr City on March 24th, and there are 27 major exhibitions in the governorates, 160 sub -exhibitions, and about 1500 supermarkets participating in the welcome pavilion of Ramadan within the initiative, and there are 100 convoys that roam the halls, infidels and villages, and there are 15: 20% reduction by the private sector..

The head of the agency concluded his remarks that Egypt is always able to overcome crises, starting from the Corona crisis and its continuous dependency until now, through wars and crises and its dependency in all countries of the world: "The state has made steps that reassure every Egyptian and we have silos at the highest level that has reached storage stings exceeding 3.6 million tons,Compared to before 2013, which did not reach the storage capacity of 800 tons, and we always apply that we have enough stocks for 6 months and we have a wise political leadership that thinks well and plans especially at the time of crisis to always reassure the Egyptian citizen.