On Egypt's basic commodity prices

Egypt's Prime Minister Atef Ebeid will head a ministerial committee today to discuss the creation of a new mechanism to achieve market stability and protect consumer rights, Minister of Supply, Hassan Khedr said yesterday.

A marked price stability of some basic commodities such as sugar, rice, oil and macaroni has been established, confirmed Khedr, following unscheduled visits to a number of markets in Giza and Cairo.

The Ministry will keep commodities at affordable prices nationwide through the annual markets of Alexandria and Ismailia, due to open within the next ten days, elaborated Khedr.

He added that the volume of strategic stocks of wheat, sugar and cooking oil is sufficient to cover local consumption for a long time.