Cairo - Hundreds of drivers went on strike in Arish in
Egypt's Sinai peninsula in protest against the increase in fuel
prices, a security official said Tuesday.
Egyptian taxi and bus drivers went on strike Monday night outside
the local council in the town located 345 kilometres north-east of
Cairo and called for an increase in taxi and bus fares to match a 35-
per-cent rise in fuel prices.
Parliament approved an increase in the prices of fuel and tobacco
after a heated debate on Monday.
The Egyptian government said the increase in prices was aimed at
covering the costs of the 30-per-cent public sector pay increase,
which Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak announced last week.
In a Labour Day speech, Mubarak said the raise would allow people
to afford food and essential commodities, the prices of which have
soared in recent months.
Spurred by global commodity price increases, bread and grain
prices in Egypt have risen by 48.1 per cent. Fruit and vegetable
prices also jumped by over 20 per cent and edible oils by 45.2 per
cent.
Urban inflation in Egypt reached 14.4 per cent in March, the
highest in three years.
A wave of protests by workers, academics, doctors and tax
collectors over soaring living costs and meager pay has put the
Mubarak government under pressure.
But prices and inflation remain uncontrolled, which mainly affects
Egypt's poor who are the majority of the population of 75
million people.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story