Gov’t raises the price of subsidized bread starting Saturday: The government will hike the price of subsidized bread to EGP 0.20 from its current price of EGP 0.05 at the beginning of June, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly announced yesterday, according to a cabinet statement. The move marks the first time the government has touched bread subsidies in 30 years.

We got a heads up: This came two days after Madbouly hinted at cutting down spending on bread subsidies to bring the selling price closer to the “massive” cost of production.

Remember: Bread subsidy reforms have been shelved for so many years and last we heard of them was in 2022, when Supply Minister Ali El Moselhy called on MPs to form an ad hoc committee to look into possible changes to the country’s massive bread subsidy program.

In numbers: With the new price hike, the state will spend some EGP 105 bn on bread subsidies a year. This means EGP 20 bn in savings — the government has allocated EGP 125 bn to bread subsidies for the upcoming fiscal year.

Redirecting the funds elsewhere: The government will redirect the funds saved from slashing bread subsidies towards the construction of schools and health facilities and the development of services and projects. The goal behind cutting down on subsidies is to allow the state to better use its resources, rather than cut down on spending, Madbouly said.

No more subsidies? The government is currently looking into replacing subsidies with cash support, a move which will allow citizens to use the support according to their needs, the prime minister said. The support amount will fluctuate according to commodity prices and inflation levels. The switch to cash support will be up for discussion at the National Dialogue to help iron out the details.

In the foreign press: The news received coverage from Bloomberg and Reuters.

Tags: