On April 5, 2024, Law No. 20 of 2024 (the “Law”) was passed and published in the Official Gazette, adopting new amendments to the Consumer Protection Law No. 181 of 2018 (the “CPL”).

The Law increased the fine imposed for committing the prohibited acts of detaining strategic products intended for sale from trading by concealing them, not offering them for sale, refusing to sell them, or by any other means (the “Offence”).

The new Amendment is no different with regards to the imprisonment term which is a minimum of one (1) year, nevertheless, the new Amendment increased the maximum fine from an amount ranging from EGP 100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Egyptian Pounds) to EGP 2,000,000 (Two Million Egyptian Pounds) to an amount ranging from EGP 150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Egyptian Pounds) to EGP 3,000,000 (Three Million Egyptian Pounds).

In the case of the repetition of the Offence, the offender shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not less than two (2) years and not exceeding five (5) years, and the fine will be doubled to its maximum limit.

Under the new Amendment, the items used to commit the Offence shall be seized and confiscated and the shop or premises where the Offence occurred will be closed for a period not exceeding six (6) months. The ruling shall also be published in two (2) widely circulated daily newspapers at the expense of the convict.

The new Amendment also stipulated another sanction to the offence: making it permissible to rule for the revocation of the license of the establishment or the premises at which the Offence occurred.