A statement was issued by the Union of Gas Station Owners in Lebanon, which stated: "In light of the recent developments following the insane rise in the exchange rate of the dollar, which has led to the closure of many stations and a reduction in working hours, we, as a union, find it important to clarify the reasons so that citizens do not unjustly hold us responsible for something beyond our control."
It added, "After the dollar's exchange rate skyrocketed, it has become essential to issue a daily price list to limit our losses. Unfortunately, this list is not released regularly, and when it is, it comes very late, causing us significant losses that are no longer bearable. The direct responsible for this situation is the Directorate of Oil."
It continued, "As everyone has noticed, there is a shortage of gasoline at the stations, not in the oil importing companies. We also want to clarify that this shortage results from the failure of oil importing companies to deliver gasoline normally because the Central Bank of Lebanon no longer opens sufficient credits for them; thus, the delivery of gasoline is very limited in accordance with the opened credit. The direct responsible for this shortage is the Central Bank of Lebanon."
The statement further urged, "We as a union and gas station owners appeal to His Excellency the President of the Republic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Energy to find a radical solution to this situation because we can no longer bear these devastating losses. We are a sector that has gone bankrupt and exhausted all its potential due to this crisis and the unfair decisions against us. For many months, we have failed to reach a definitive solution with the Directorate of Oil, the Minister, or the Central Bank regarding our suffering and the losses we incur. This is aside from the blame placed on us and the problems occurring at our stations in every crisis."
The Union of Gas Station Owners considered that "this statement is a warning to all concerned parties and relevant authorities so that we are not forced to close all stations throughout Lebanon."
