Families protest shortage of subsidised baby formula in Egypt

Dozens of Egyptian mothers with their crying babies, held demonstrations across the country, blocking streets to protest the hike in baby formula prices by 40 per cent and its acute shortage amid tightening of belt by the government.
Hundreds of families rallied yesterday in Cairo and Gharbia governorate to protest the steep increase of baby formula prices.
Demonstrators were held in front of thestate-run Egyptian Pharmaceutical Trading Company in order to have subsidised baby formula, while families in Gharbeya governorate rallied and blocked the road for the same reason.
The families called for an immediate solution as they mentioned that they can't find subsidised baby formula as some traders exploit the crisis and sell the formula double its price.

Health Minister Ahmed Emad said yesterday that the Egyptian army bought 30 million baby formula and put the logo of the military on it in order to resell them in pharmacies with only 30 Egyptian pounds (about USD 3) a half of its current price which is 60 Egyptian pounds (about USD 6).
Emad said the ministry discovered that one of the centres that sell subsidised formula sold the formula to a patisserie shop instead of people in need, which made the ministry to close this centre.

He also said that starting from this month mothers will be able to use smart cards to buy subsidised baby formula throughabout 1,005 government-run distribution centers across the country.

However, mothers should meet certain criteria, like proving to be poor health, or having twins, he said.
"No leaking for baby formula from now, the subsidy will reach the people who really need it," the minister said.
The ministry said that the government pay 450 million Egyptian pounds (about USD 51 million) every year to subsidise baby formula by buying 18 million packages of baby formula, while last year, the same price bought around 24 million packages.
After the International Monetary Fund initially agreed last month to extend to Egypt a USD 12 billion loan over three years, the government started to cut in subsidies which believed to be part of the government's reform program that was critical in securing the loan, which is still subject to approval by IMF's executive board.