(Public Domain Photo)
Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Bassem Ouda ordered the closure of a bakery for three months on Saturday after the bakery owner tried to stop inspectors and verbally assaulted them.
Ouda was inspecting several bakeries in the Giza area of Monib when he discovered a large amount of looted flour in one bakery.
Bakery owner Shehata Ali Abdallah and his brothers verbally assaulted the minister and the inspectors and tried to stop them from entering the storeroom; however, the storeroom was eventually opened. Inspectors discovered the flour and the bakery was ordered to close for three months.
Reports of the minister being attacked by the bakers were said to have been untrue on the minister’s official Facebook page.
Ouda conducted an early inspection tour on Saturday around 7.00am that started in front of CairoUniversity.
Within three hours of inspection, five bakeries were reported for violating the standards of bread production or looting flour.
The minister also reported a bakery in Kafr Tuhurmis in Giza after people of the area complained about the quality of bread; Ouda also discovered that Gamal Mehana Ahmed, a worker in the bakery, works for 12 hours to bake three tons of bread on his own which represents unfair working conditions.
“The minister is doing a good job; however, he has to listen to what the bakers have to say,” said Adel Khamis, a bakery owner in Ain Shams.
He added that bakery owners do feel that the minister is moving and trying to improve production, however their demands need to be met.
“We know everything will not be solved overnight, but we just want him to listen to us,” he said.
Bakery owners had recently held several protests against the Trade Ministry’s new policies affecting the prices of flour and bread.
During his tour, Ouda also thanked bakery owners who respected the law and said that the ministry will support them and increase their share of flour which will increase their production.
