The President of the Union of Arab Bakeries in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Nasser Sorour, announced that "the decision to limit the sale of subsidized bread only to the public issued by the Minister of Economy in the caretaker government, Amin Salam, prohibits the sale of subsidized bread to all types of restaurants, hotels, butcher shops, and parks, as they sell their products based on the black market dollar exchange rate, which is fully dollarized." He pointed out that "therefore, all these institutions must purchase bread outside of the subsidy at its dollar price or according to the daily exchange rate, and anyone who violates this rule, whether they be bakery or restaurant owners, will be in breach of the ministry's decision and expose themselves to actions that will be taken against them and their institution by security forces, the judiciary, and the ministry." He urged everyone to "cooperate on the basis that rights prevail and are not to be overshadowed, as subsidized bread is a right for citizens alone, as we have stated and confirmed."
Regarding the pricing of the bread loaf amid the fluctuating dollar exchange rate, Sorour called on the Minister of Economy to "form a crisis cell around the clock, as bakeries are incurring substantial losses and their situation has become as difficult as that of the country. We do not want to be on par with gas stations and fuel companies, but under these harsh conditions, bread loaves must be priced daily to ensure bakeries can continue their operations without despair." He affirmed that "there will be no bread shortage, we are keeping our promise, as long as flour reaches the bakeries through the efforts of the security agencies, especially the State Security, which works diligently to uphold the law day and night without any negligence in these challenging times the country is experiencing."
