President Abdel Fattah El Sisi addressed a range of economic and political issues yesterday and took questions from audience members as he inaugurated yesterday development projects in Qena. El Sisi reiterated the importance of pressing ahead with economic reforms such as the EGP float and the introduction of new taxes and said the short-term difficulties citizens face are the price we will pay for long-term benefits.

The state is struggling to keep up with spikes in the consumption of basic commodities including wheat, he said, but is working to keep price increases under control. The president also said that the government should provide citizens with the full truth on the state of the economy to keep them in the loop with and understand all related developments.

The president also ordered the Interior Ministry and Armed Forces to regain control of illegally acquire state lands by the end of the month, saying governors are responsible for ensuring these violations do not happen in the first place.

On the political front, El Sisi called for comprehensive regional cooperation to ensure sustainable development in the area. You can watch the ceremony and Sisi’s remarks in full here (runtime 2:57:46).