Publish Date: 09 Jun 2022 Finance101
The bankruptcy of Alfa the owner of 19011 pharmacy chain was one of the most talked about topics on the news recently. Let’s start by saying that the economic court already issued its ruling of bankruptcy and appointed a judge to oversee the process.
Dr. Hatem Al Badawy Secretary General of the Pharmacies Division at the Federation of Chambers of Commerce explained that Alfa owes 7 billion EGP mostly to banks. He confirmed in several press interviews that most of the debt owed by 19011 is to banks and major pharmaceutical distribution companies which makes this a disaster to all parties involved.
Several major distribution companies were adversely affected by 19011’s bankruptcy such as United Company for Pharmacists “Al Motahida” and IbnSina Pharma. Alfa owes the distribution companies more than one billion Egyptian pounds but these companies will probably not be able to collect all they are owed due to Alfa filing bankruptcy.
The pharmaceutical division had issued several warnings about how 19011 operates their business and cautioned that they are attempting to monopolize the market by securing large portions of medicine and by overpaying rent.
19011 pharmacies rented all their premises, none were owned by the company. All of these properties are now closed and their owners are unable to collect rent, unable to rent them to others, or to even enter them without resorting to courts of law first.
19011 entered the Egyptian pharmaceutical market by acquiring Rushdy Pharmacy chain which owed more than 1 billion EGP to several banks.
The Alfa owned chain also acquired Al’Image pharmacies after which 19011 launched a huge marketing campaign with the goal of competing with and surpassing El Ezaby chain. El Ezaby has dominated the Egyptian market since its establishment in the 1970s and while El Ezaby operates 150 pharmacies all over Egypt, 19011 operated 100 branches.