Egypt: Gas cylinder crisis escalates

Egyptians are up in arms as gas prices continue to rise in the country and black market sellers flood the market.

Al-Shorouk newspapers quoted residents as saying that black market sellers were monopolising the market while the government’s official channels were absent leading to a rise in the price of gas canisters from 10 Egyptian pounds ($1.13) to 50 Egyptian pounds ($5.63).

They called on the government to intervene to stop those who are profiting at the expense of the poor.

Others spoke of difficulties in accessing gas canisters as prices in some areas sore over 70 Egyptian pounds ($7.88).

Egyptians have been suffering from an increase on the price of all commodities since the 2013 coup which ousted the first democratically elected President, Mohamed Morsi.