A London Based Digital Publication Covering Diplomatic & Business Activities Globally

Friday, March 29, 2024

Egypt offers reusable face masks in state subsidy scheme

Egypt has started offering reusable cotton face masks at around $50 cents each alongside the food items provided in its state subsidy programme, as it seeks to make protective gear more widely available to curb the coronavirus.

Egypt subsidizes items such as bread, rice and sugar for more than 60 million people and has added masks to its list of essential goods, with a limit of 2 per family.

“There was (an opportunity) to use supply outlets and the presence of supply cards with 22 million families to offer the masks,” said supply ministry spokesman Ahmed Kamal.

“At 8.5 Egyptian pounds per mask, the price is very accessible for the public … private companies sell similar masks for between 15 and 20 pounds,” he said, adding that authorities aim to distribute 19 million masks by the end of July.

Egypt’s state buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities, better known for importing huge tonnages of wheat bought on international markets, was tasked with procuring the masks from local suppliers, including the military production ministry.

An initial 40 million masks, vetted for safety, will be made available between July and August but authorities plan to increase the amount later, Kamal said.

Latest Posts

Latest Posts

Stay in touch

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

RELATED ARTICLES

WTO Promotes Consensus

The final World Trade Organization General Council meeting before...

UK and Azerbaijan celebrate growing bilateral relations

UK PM Rishi Sunak congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on...

DIFC Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) achieved record-breaking results...

Optimism Surrounds Philippine Food Exports

During the "Outbound Business Matching Mission" (OBMM) organized by...

UAE Leads Arab Economic Social Meeting

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy,...

UAE Export Boost with ADEX

ADEX, Mashreq, and ADCB partner with BGN for a...

Sharjah, Istanbul Exhibition Collaboration

Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS) and World Trade Centre Istanbul...

President Tokayev Visits Qatar for Diplomatic Talks

President Tokayev of Kazakhstan is set to visit Qatar...

Transforming Steel Production with Green Technology

A massive green steel plant near Boden, Sweden, aims...