As the economy falters, Egypt’s police launch a ‘war on prices’

According to the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies, Egyptians spend 40% of their income on food on average, and the country is widely known to be the world’s largest importer of wheat, in an economy heavily dependent on foreign production.

With the value of the Egyptian pound falling 11% since January, Egyptians have had to cough up more for foreign goods, and the market has reacted. Increasing food prices have been a key element driving annual inflation on the price of urban consumer goods up to 9.7% in October.

What’s more, the government says it is set to lose 2.2 billion pounds ($280 million) a month from lost tourist revenues in the fallout from the deadly crash of a plane of Russian passengers in October.

Despite the strong international influences on Egypt’s economic malaise, a branch of the Ministry of Interior took up the president’s call to quick action and has begun to exert influence on the economy and consumer prices.

The Ministry of Interior's General Directorate for Supply and Internal Trade, also known as the supply police, has been focusing on criminal business behavior, such as traders distributing meat unfit for public consumption, but now it has turned its focus to the “greedy merchants” behind price increases.