Expect war with manufacturers after snap decree orders food producers to print retail prices on packaging: Supply Minister Ali El Moselhy issued a decree on Tuesday that will force food producers to print “clear” price labels on their packages, Ahram Online reports, citing the state news agency. The decision, which was published in the Official Gazette yesterday, will allow retailers to sell unlabeled goods until 31 December, after which they will be subject to prison sentences of up to five years and fines ranging from EGP 300-1,000. The regulations are meant to help curb inflation by unifying prices across the board.

That socialist-statist impulse just isn’t going to go away anytime soon, ladies and gentlemen. Witness yesterday’s venting of spleens in the House of Representatives as Speaker Ali Abdel Aal lambasted the government for not taking seriously the “monopolistic nature” of the pharma market, which he and house majority bloc boss Mohamed Elsewedy said was allowing “unjustified” price increases, according to Al Ahram. Beating up on the private sector over inflation is going to be a core theme this fall.