Lebanese people experienced a noticeable alleviation in the bread crisis yesterday, as the number of queues in front of bakeries decreased due to the availability of bread in all Lebanese regions. Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam announced this relief after a field survey conducted by the crisis cell of the ministerial committee responsible for managing the distribution of wheat and flour showed that the bread crisis has been resolved by 90%, and the queues have disappeared. He stated, "The new mechanism has put an end to crisis profiteers, and several bakers and mill owners who violated the decisions of the Ministry of Economy have been apprehended and are currently under investigation by the relevant judiciary. The Ministry of Economy has requested the judiciary to impose strict penalties on all violators, as imprisonment is the solution to deter anyone who dares to trade with the livelihoods of the Lebanese people."
The Ministry of Economy and Trade has completed the tables for distributing wheat and flour, making them accessible to everyone, and starting this week, they will be available on the ministry's website. The reasons behind this breakthrough are as follows:
First, 49,000 tons of wheat entered the country last week, providing sufficient supply for a month and a half.
Second, mills that had closed their doors have resumed operations normally, grinding about 1,000 tons of wheat daily.
Third, a new and transparent mechanism has been established, along with diligent follow-up and strict oversight from the joint committee that includes the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, and security agencies, all working hard to ensure fair distribution of wheat and flour across all Lebanese territories.
For his part, George Barbare, Director General of Grains and Sugar Beets at the Ministry of Economy, clarified to "Nidaa Al-Watan" that "the crisis cell in the ministerial committee meets continuously to monitor the reserves of the mills and regulate distribution to ensure equality based on each mill's production capacity. Everyone is working diligently, and we were informed that the queues in front of bakeries have decreased." He pointed out that "a large ship is offloading its cargo of wheat, amounting to 25,000 tons, with the unloading process expected to be completed today or tomorrow."
