The Association of Mergouq and Tannour Bakeries and Small Ovens in the South announced that their sector is beginning to collapse, stating that "dozens of Mergouq and Tannour bakeries have started to close due to the removal of subsidies on the flour allocated to them, which has been converted to dollars. With the significant rise in the dollar, the price difference between a loaf of Arabic bread and Mergouq, Tannour, and Manakish bread has become enormous."
The association warned in a statement that "we warned against the partial removal of flour subsidies and its conversion solely to Arabic bread," considering that "we are heading towards a catastrophe that will leave hundreds or even thousands of families without a source of income and jobs due to this thoughtless decision responsible for the destruction of an entire productive sector."
The association asserted that "they tailored the subsidy decision to suit large bakeries that now monopolize all dough production from Manakish to cakes and Tannour." They called on the Ministry of Economy to "audit the invoices of those bakeries with respect to unsuppressed flour and compare them with previous withdrawals before the subsidy was lifted."
They stated, "Instead of providing full support for Arabic bread, which benefits one and a half million Syrian refugees covered by international bodies, there should have been a mechanism to continue full support for flour to maintain our work and livelihood, which we have had no alternative for over many years."
They urged "the political forces in the South and their deputies to act immediately to stop the crime of putting thousands of families out on the street."
