Owners of depots where cooking gas cylinders are sold closed their doors on Tuesday after a recent governmental decision to increase the subsidised price of the cylinders, which they say will reduce their profit margins.
Around 2,700 depots across Egypt shut their doors, while a number of the owners attempted to break into the supply ministry in protest.
Under the new prices, the 12.5kg butane cylinder would now be sold at LE8 ($1.17), rising 60 percent from the previous price of LE5 ($0.73), while the 25kg butane canister will be sold for LE16 ($2.30).
Along with the new prices, the government has set the commission that owners of depots can make on each cylinder at LE0.75 ($0.11) for the 12.5kg canister and LE1.5 ($0.22) for the 25kg canister.
The petroleum division at the Egyptian Federation of Chambers of Commerce stated that a fair commission should be set for the depot owners, at an average of LE4 ($0.60) for both sizes of canisters.
According to supply ministry spokesman Nasser El-Farrash, the cooking gas depots were reopened on Wednesday and the canister distributors resumed their work, as the minister of supply vowed to solve the problem in a way would be acceptable to the government, consumers and the distributors.
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