Mohamed Elfar – Middle East Insights

COVID-19 in Egypt: For the first time, Prime Minister invokes ECA Powers in setting maximum prices for certain essential products

April 27, 2020 by Mohamed Elfar and Hania Negm 5 Mins Read

On 15 April 2020, based on a study presented by the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA), the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 17/2020 fixing the prices of some products needed to combat COVID-19 for at least three months ending on 14 July 2020 (the Decision). This Decision is the first successful implementation of Article 10 of the Egyptian Competition Law (ECL), which grants the Council of Ministers the right to fix the prices of strategic/essential product(s)…

Data privacy and security requirements starting to make their way into Egyptian laws

December 18, 2018 by Mohamad Talaat and Mohamed Elfar 2 Mins Read

Recently, Egypt has adopted two new laws on cyber crime and consumer protection which can be seen as the first attempt by Egypt to regulate data privacy and security. Specifically, the Law No. 175/2018 on Combating Information Technology Crimes and Law No. 181/2018 on Consumer Protection were adopted.

Colluding to lower prices can be illegal too: Egypt fines a price-reducing cartel for the first time

May 13, 2018 by Mohamad Talaat and Mohamed Elfar 4 Mins Read

Twelve individuals from nine companies were fined a total of EGP 4.5 million (about USD 255,000) for their involvement in a cartel designed to lower prices and foreclose the market for chick production. The producers agreed to reduce the price of chicks over a period of two weeks in order to foreclose imports.