Lebanon’s caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam said on Friday that 40% of Lebanon's flour stock is being smuggled into Syria, pointing to what he described as “gangs in the ministries” controlling the issue.
“We can’t confront the thieves and smugglers alone. Reports show that 40% of the flour is being smuggled into Syria. The long queues of people standing outside bakeries to get bread are mainly Syrians,” said Salam in a press conference.
The Minister stated that some important documents and evidence linked to the country’s bread and wheat crisis are in his procession.
His remarks came in light of accusations blaming the Ministry of negligence in providing flour to bakeries.
“There is a surplus of 10,000 tons of flour that has been stolen. We (our government) are here to clean up the mess done by previous administrations,” he said, adding that “some have brought in gangs to the ministries.”
“Accusations must not be fired arbitrarily,” he said, demanding the state and administrations to “work according to the rules.”
“Those selling the bread for 20 and 30 thousand a pack are nothing but thieves. A bread pack should be sold for around 14 thousand only,” he added.
In a radio interview, the representative of the Bekaa bakeries and a member of the Syndicate of Beirut and Mount Lebanon bakeries, Abbas Haidar, said: “Nothing more to say after so many constant meetings and sit-ins.
“We want to deliver bread to the people as quickly as possible, and therefore demand the Ministry of Economy to form a crisis cell to secure wheat for all mills, especially in the Bekaa region."
Lebanese flocked to bakeries early mornings desperate to find affordable bread in a country where fuel and medicine are already in critically short supply.
The country, struggling with political turmoil since 2019, has also been hit by the worst global economic crisis in 150 years, according to the World Bank.
Many bakeries have already closed down because they cannot afford the rising cost of fuel needed to power private generators as electricity cuts last for around 20 hours a day.
