Egypt’s Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) conducted 1,358 nationwide campaigns between 1 March and 28 April, seizing 3,475 violations and over 290 tonnes of unfit or untraceable goods as part of a government mandate to curb price manipulation and ensure the availability of strategic commodities.
The regulatory campaigns, which inspected 14,743 commercial establishments across the country, resulted in the seizure of 128 tonnes of expired or unknown origin food products, alongside 164 tonnes of unfit or untraceable fodder and fertilisers. Authorities also confiscated 74,645 expired canned goods and beverages, as well as 14,919 packages of unknown origin tobacco and its derivatives. Of the total violations recorded, 315 cases were directly related to price manipulation.
The figures were presented on Tuesday during a central operations room meeting at the CPA headquarters in New Cairo, chaired by the agency’s head, Ibrahim Al-Segini. According to the agency, 32,913 consumer complaints were received across various sectors during the two-month period, including 184 specifically related to price manipulation, all of which were processed according to approved legal procedures.
Addressing sector heads, regional branch managers, qualitative administration managers, and judicial enforcement officers, Al-Segini stated that market stability is linked to the economic security of citizens.
“The agency will not tolerate any attempts to manipulate prices or harm citizens’ rights,” Al-Segini said, emphasising the operations room’s role in real-time monitoring and rapid intervention.
The meeting follows directives from the political leadership and the Prime Minister to monitor unjustified price increases amid current regional variables affecting market dynamics and commodity supply chains.
Al-Segini directed teams to maintain high readiness and intensify sudden inspections on sales outlets, traditional markets, and e-commerce stores. He mandated strict action against monopolies, recycled commodities, and unlabelled prices, noting that campaigns must particularly target remote and sprawling areas where violations frequently spread.
To enforce these measures, the CPA head urged continued coordination with the National Food Safety Authority, Supply and Internal Trade Directorates, and the Supply Police. While praising regional branches for preventing the influx of illicit goods, Al-Segini instructed that all officers operate with complete neutrality, integrity, and strict adherence to the law without discrimination, ensuring all violations are accurately documented.
