Industry minister attests to availability of foodstuffs in markets at lower cost compared to prior years, 2nd, final add

_: For his part, the President of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Commerce, Khalil Al-Haj Tawfiq, stressed during the tour that there is no increase in the prices of any food item with the nearing of the holy month of Ramadan and that there is a decrease in the prices of many products, pointing out that the food stores have provided various offers on basic materials. He said that the markets are ready to receive the holy month, expecting the commercial movement to increase gradually with the payment of salaries. He pointed out that the events in Bab Al-Mandab imposed a challenge on the import of fresh chilled meat, which does not exceed 90 days for lamb meat and 120 days for veal, and foreign companies have refused to export to Jordan and the region in general since the diversion of commercial ships to the Cape of Good Hope takes longer, which reduces the shelf life of meat. Al-Haj Tawfiq explained that traders resorted to importing meat via air freight, which is a more expensive method, and have raised t he prices of chilled meat, stressing that there are multiple alternatives available to citizens from different origins. He stressed that Jordan is ready and distinguished by the availability of basic materials in times of high demand and at encouraging prices, considering that the citizen is the one who decides to buy from any place he wants, in light of the existence of about 10 thousand retail stores in Amman of different sizes. He praised the government's willingness to support the private commercial and industrial sectors and assist them in dealing with any issues that may impede supply chains or raise prices, among other things. Source: Jordan News Agency