House votes to amend Consumer Protection Law: The House gave final approval to an amendment to the 2018 Consumer Protection Law that will see those hoarding key food commodities facing sentences of one year in prison and fines between EGP 150k-3 mn. Repeat offenders will be faced with two to five years in prison and a fine of EGP 6 mn.

ICYMI: The Madbouly government last month named seven commodities as “strategic commodities”, prohibiting traders from withholding them from the market. Fava beans, milk, rice, sugar, pasta, white cheese, and blended oil were named on the list issued by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

The military is also involved in keeping key commodities on supermarket shelves: The House of Representatives gave final approval last month to a draft law that cements the role of the armed forces in protecting critical facilities and infrastructure — which included giving army officials the greenlight to confront those who disrupt the flow of basic commodities and refer them to military courts.

PSA- Know your rights as a consumer: The Consumer Protection Agency is out withits Consumer Rights and Services Guide for 2024. The guide covers basic consumer rights — think: returns and exchanges, online purchases, and ways to file complaints. You can access the guide here (pdf).

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