It was an econ-heavy on the airwaves with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s comments on prices leading the conversation.

“Life is expensive,” El Sisi said during comments made on the sidelines of Police Day ceremonies on Wednesday (watch, runtime: 17:01), adding that the people of Egypt are enduring and putting up with it. “We need to endure some more to live and grow and overcome this challenge,” he said. The president acknowledged the magnitude of the economic headwinds facing the country, telling journalists that geopolitical tension surrounding Egypt’s borders comes at a hefty price for our economy. El Sisi’s remarks also got airtime on Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 4:48).

A solution on the horizon? The second round of the National Dialogue will address the country’s economic challenges and look to find solutions, he said.

Speaking of life being expensive: The nation’s talking heads took note of the repeated jumps in commodities prices — steel, poultry, and dairy products — due exchange rate volatility. Head of the metals chamber at the Federation of Egyptian Industries Mohamed Hanafi, joined Kelma Akhira’s Lamees El Hadidi to outline the drivers behind the increase in steel prices (watch, runtime: 7:45). Meanwhile, Poultry Producers Union head Tharwat El Zeini told El Hadidi that poultry feed prices climbed about 35% in a single week (watch, runtime: 5:33).

Markets are confused by the unstable exchange rate and there must be a method to end the black market trading of the greenback, head of the Internal Trade Committee of the Importers Division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce Matta Bishay told Masa’a DMC (watch, runtime: 7:39). He pointed to the need for the government to be transparent with citizens and importers about its plan to address the issue.

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