CAIRO, Jun 24 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's ministry of supply is working on a plan to decrease the time spent offloading wheat cargoes from 12 days to five or six days to save on hard currency, the minister said on Wednesday.

Minister Khaled Hanafi said in a statement that all tools and equipment used in offloading wheat cargoes will be renovated. Authorities will also work on speeding up the administrative procedures wheat cargoes undergo.

Egypt is the world's largest wheat importer, according to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization.

The country has suffered a shortage in hard currency since a popular uprising in 2011 prompted ongoing political turmoil, taking its toll on the economy.