Lebanon Faces Gasoline Crisis, Unprecedented Meat Price Hike

 Vehicles queue for fuel at a gas station in the village of Msayleh, Lebanon March 16, 2021. (Reuters)
Vehicles queue for fuel at a gas station in the village of Msayleh, Lebanon March 16, 2021. (Reuters)
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Lebanon Faces Gasoline Crisis, Unprecedented Meat Price Hike

 Vehicles queue for fuel at a gas station in the village of Msayleh, Lebanon March 16, 2021. (Reuters)
Vehicles queue for fuel at a gas station in the village of Msayleh, Lebanon March 16, 2021. (Reuters)

With the imminent lifting of subsidies on basic supplies, a fuel crisis emerged in Lebanon in parallel with a further increase in the prices of food products, especially meat and poultry, which prompted the General Labor Union to threaten to take to the streets after Eid Al-Fitr holiday.

On Monday, a large number of gas stations abstained from supplying cars with gasoline, while long queues of vehicles waited since early morning to receive a maximum amount of 20 liters of gasoline, a ceiling set by the stations that decided to remain open.

The representative of fuel distributors, Fadi Abu Chakra, said that the current gasoline crisis was due to rumors about an imminent rationalization of subsidy and fear that fuel prices would double.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he explained that citizens have rushed to fill and store gasoline over the past few days, which led to fuel scarcity in the market.

Abu Chakra clarified that until the moment, subsidy on gasoline has not been lifted; hence prices have not increased, adding that the distributing companies would complete on Tuesday the distribution of gasoline, which is supposed to end this crisis.

The Lebanese army had recently announced thwarting several operations of fuel smuggling into Syrian territory and the arrest of Lebanese and Syrian people involved in smuggling activities.

Meanwhile, prices of foodstuffs witnessed a major increase over the past two days, especially in meat and poultry, after workers in the sector announced that the Central Bank had stopped securing subsidized dollars for importing meat and poultry supplies.

Citizens rushed to the supermarkets after the syndicate announced that the price of chicken would rise by more than 40 percent within weeks. Moreover, a number of butcheries closed their doors protesting the lack of subsidized meat, while others increased the price of a kilo of meat by 30 percent compared to the past week.

The President of the General Labor Union, Bechara Al-Asmar, warned that the union would not stand idly by amid what he called a "programmed chaos" aimed at starving the people, threatening to take to the streets after Eid Al-Fitr holiday.



Tunisia Gets Offers in 75,000 T Soft Wheat Tender, Traders Say

Agricultural labourers harvest the wheat crop at Chadiala village in the northern Indian state of Punjab April 10, 2008. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA)
Agricultural labourers harvest the wheat crop at Chadiala village in the northern Indian state of Punjab April 10, 2008. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA)
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Tunisia Gets Offers in 75,000 T Soft Wheat Tender, Traders Say

Agricultural labourers harvest the wheat crop at Chadiala village in the northern Indian state of Punjab April 10, 2008. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA)
Agricultural labourers harvest the wheat crop at Chadiala village in the northern Indian state of Punjab April 10, 2008. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA)

The lowest price offered in the international tender from Tunisia's state grains agency on Thursday to purchase about 75,000 metric tons of soft wheat was believed to be $262.91 a ton cost and freight (c&f) included, European traders said.

Offers are still being considered and no purchase has yet been reported. The lowest offer is not always accepted if conditions attached to it are regarded as unattractive, Reuters reported.

The lowest offer was believed to have been submitted for optional-origin wheat by trading house Cargill for 25,000 tons, they said.

Cargill also made the next lowest offer of $263.91 also for 25,000 tons, they said.

Reports reflect assessments from traders and further estimates of prices and volumes are still possible later.

Shipment was requested between May 20 and June 30 depending on origin supplied.