Stations Insisting on Dollar Payments: Is Gasoline Going to Dollarization?

Fadi Abu Shacra, representative of fuel distributors, revealed that they, as fuel distributors and station owners, held a series of meetings in recent days with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Minister of Energy Walid Fayyad. They discussed prices and pricing in dollars at the stations, and they submitted a letter regarding this matter to the Minister of Energy, to which the Legislative Authority responded with a rejection. Meanwhile, the dollar continues to rise significantly, prompting some station owners to close. He confirmed in a conversation with the "Anbaa" electronic newspaper that they are in service of the customers, and their primary concern is providing the material and not closing the stations. Despite this justification, some stations started charging the price of gasoline in dollars yesterday, contrary to the official price list, similar to most sectors that have turned to dollarization. The result has been that citizens bear the cost out of their pockets in the absence of any measures to curb the dollar's rise and protect what remains of the purchasing power of the Lebanese people.