The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade and the World Food Programme (WFP) have agreed to a joint action plan running until July 2027 to develop a comprehensive market efficiency index and shift state market monitoring from basic observation to proactive data analysis.
Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk announced that the ministry is upgrading its tools to rely on more accurate and integrated data, enabling it to monitor price movements, commodity availability, and regional disparities. This approach will allow the government to address imbalances swiftly and intervene more efficiently when necessary. The agreement was discussed during talks between Farouk and WFP Country Director in Egypt Rawad Halabi to transform areas of cooperation into executive programmes that enhance food security and nutrition.
The planned market efficiency index will expand the ministry’s focus beyond mere price tracking to measure commodity availability, ease of access for citizens, regional price variations, and quality levels. This broader scope is designed to provide a comprehensive view of the market, enhancing the ministry’s ability to detect early signs of disruptions and make timely decisions. Furthermore, the two sides discussed developing an integrated system for citizen complaints, allowing for tracking from receipt to resolution while analysing the data to identify recurring issues and improve services for subsidy beneficiaries.
In the realm of food security, the action plan includes specialised training programmes on relevant data and indicators in cooperation with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. The discussions covered training on methodologies for analysing the cost of obtaining a healthy and balanced diet to study the relationship between food prices, nutritional needs, and household purchasing power. These metrics will help the ministry evaluate the subsidy system’s contribution to meeting citizens’ nutritional needs based on scientific indicators and improve targeting for the most vulnerable groups.
The officials explored activating cooperation programmes and exchanging expertise among Global South countries, allowing Egypt to benefit from successful international experiences while sharing its own developments in managing subsidies and securing food commodities. The meeting also reviewed technical cooperation with the food and nutrition systems committee headed by the Ministry of Health and Population, integrating the supply ministry’s role in commodity provision and market monitoring with broader health and nutritional targets.
Farouk emphasised that the partnership with the WFP aims to build sustainable institutional capacities within the ministry by transferring knowledge and localising modern tools and methodologies among Egyptian teams, ensuring a lasting impact on the state’s strategic planning. The meeting was attended by Assistant Minister for International Relations and Agreements Doaa Nabil Bahaa El-Din and Head of the Central Administration for the Minister’s Office Affairs Sarah El-Azazy. The WFP delegation included Deputy Country Director Rossella Fanelli, Head of Programmes Amani Gamal El-Din, Head of the Nutrition Unit Alia Hafiz, and Head of the Data Analysis and Vulnerability Unit Omnia Mansour.
