Commodities once again dominated the airwaves, with the nation’s talking heads honing in a meeting that saw government officials discuss ways to stabilize commodity prices and ensure that different goods are available on the market yesterday.

Gov’t wants to set up year-round marketplaces for affordable goods: During the meeting, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly instructed the government to set up year-round marketplaces for affordable goods, modeled after the Ahlan Ramadan and Ahlan Madares exhibitions. The Minister of Local Development affirmed that governorates would allocate land for these marketplaces, while the chambers of commerce would organize the exhibitions.

The selling point? Extending this model to all vegetable and fruit trading would benefit all consumers, who currently face the uncertainty of haphazard markets, Cabinet Spokesperson Mohamed El Homsani said in a phone call with Ala Mas’ouleety’s Ahmed Moussa (watch, runtime: 19:14).

Pulse check on the market: While prices have generally stabilized lately, there have been price increases for certain items, including eggs, lentils, and vegetables, El Homsani said. Poultry prices, on the other hand, have declined. “All basic commodities and other goods are available in abundance on the market,” he added. El Homsany also discussed commodities in a phone call with El Sa’a El Sadesa’s Azza Mostafa (watch, runtime: 21:11).

ALSO ON THE AIRWAVES- The passing of veteran diplomat Nabil El Araby: Former Secretary-General of the Arab League and former Foreign Minister Nabil El Araby passed away yesterday at the age of 89. Hadret El Mowaten’s Sayed Ali paid tribute to El Araby, saying that “Egyptian diplomacy has lost one of its greatest men” (watch, runtime: 0:55).

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