As food prices soar, Egyptians asked to go hungry in protest
The head of Egypt's Consumer Protection Agency has called on citizens to refrain from buying basic commodities for one day in an effort to drive prices down in a boycott that analysts say will be far too short to work.
CAIRO — “A day without buying,” a bizarre campaign launched by Egypt’s state-run Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) on Nov. 16, is a rebuke to traders after the state failed to rein in runaway inflation caused by the floating of the Egyptian pound and price manipulation by retailers withholding basic goods from the market.
CPA head Gen. Atif Yaacoub said in a Nov. 12 statement to Al-Hayat TV that the first protest, set for Dec. 1, would be a total boycott of all products, not just basic goods.
“The first day of every month will see consumers’ purchasing power boosted, and by refusing to buy goods on this day, they will send a message to retailers that consumers are able to boycott and control the market,” he said.
He explained that the one-day symbolic boycott will be a warning of further escalation if there was no response. He threatened to blacklist retailers and shops that were exploiting price hikes. He also threatened boycotts of specific products that perish if they go unsold.
