Egyptians buy imported cigarettes at a popular market in Cairo, Egypt. AP
The increase comes in response to recent shortages of cigarettes in the Egyptian market.
EETC CEO Hany Aman said the additional production will be released in stages over the next few weeks, stressing that the company is working with the Egyptian government and other stakeholders to ensure that the increased production is distributed evenly and reaches consumers at a fair price.
This is the second increase in cigarette production in less than a month. Earlier in August, Eastern Company increased its production of cigarettes by 25 percent to face the recent shortages in the Egyptian market.
On 12 August, the company announced it would provide an extra 50 million cigarettes daily, thus increasing the number of cigarettes on the market to 150 million cigarettes (7.5 million cigarette packs), up from 100 million cigarettes (5 million packs).
Tobacco prices have surged recently on the black market amid a shortage in supply.
"We are committed to meeting the needs of our customers. We are working around the clock to ensure a sufficient supply of cigarettes in the market," Aman said.
He also urged consumers to help address the issue of shortages by refraining from hoarding cigarettes and reporting any stores that sell cigarettes at inflated prices.
According to numbers released by Eastern Company, Egyptians spent EGP 17 billion on cigarettes during the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
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