Supply minister appoints new vice chairman for Egypt wheat import authority

Egyptian Supply Minister Khaled Hanafy issued a decree on Monday to appoint Ahmed Youssef as new vice chairperson of state’s wheat-importing body General Authority For Supply Commodities (GASC).

Youssef was the  former head of GASC’s central administration for purchasing.

He replaces outgoing Vice Chairman Mamdouh Abdel Fattah at a time when the authority is mired in controversy for the practices that govern its procurement of domestic and imported wheat.

As the head of the world’s largest wheat purchaser and person responsible for ensuring that Egypt has enough wheat to supply its population with subsidized bread, Youssef will have huge influence on both global and local grain markets.