The lira has collapsed once again, entering a dark tunnel and dragging the country into an even darker one. Citizens are waiting for the dollar to reach 50,000 lira, silently anticipating an unknown fate, fully convinced that their fate is controlled by the dollar. They fear the worst, observing the game of the dollar and the lira, which has become a tedious game. Everyone blames the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, who issues his harsh decrees against the people, directing his messages to politicians at the expense of silent citizens. People never expected this frightening economic scenario.
The Governor of the Central Bank wanted to manipulate people's fate just days before the end of the year. He intended to tighten his grip further, proclaiming, "The matter is mine,” suddenly raising the exchange rate on the Sayrafa platform to 38,000 lira at once, which means further price increases. Many goods are linked to this Sayrafa rate, including telecommunications, which are inevitably set to rise in cost, leading many to question whether there is collusion between the Minister of Telecommunications and the Central Bank to raise prices these days. Telecommunications shop owners have started pricing according to the new Sayrafa rate, and the prices of recharge cards have increased.
The dollar game has left people with few options, with everyone betting on their patience: it rises, it falls, then it rises again, in a deadly game that many confirm is lethal. Even those who receive their salaries in dollars have begun to voice their concerns, albeit timidly. This seesaw effect will not mobilize people; everyone is preparing to bid farewell to the year. Most restaurants in Nabatieh are "full," confirming that searching for joy, even with dollars, has become a preoccupation for people. Many will not lower themselves to the level of currency collapse; they have "gotten used" to its volatility, with no controlling measure available except for a political decision that is currently absent.
Ali Mheddine, the owner of the Eat Vite restaurant in Nabatieh, confirms that the restaurant is "full" on New Year's Eve despite all the circumstances and that he has slightly reduced prices to attract customers. There is heavy traffic on the roads in Nabatieh, with cars moving slowly, much like the leaders' slow progress towards a solution, as drivers move towards their destinations with frustration, with traffic increasing fuel expenses, which have also seen further hikes. Nevertheless, cars continue to move along.
Today, merchants are relying on reviving winter tourism in hopes of spurring the market a bit. Many are shopping and buying new clothes, banking on a temporary fix, fully aware it is short-lived, and that the coming year will be catastrophic on all fronts.
The worst part of the dollar game is that it has hit the pharmaceutical sector hard, striking the poor directly; most medicines have gone beyond people's financial reach, and infant formula is scarce. Prices will inevitably rise further, as everything is tied to the dollar. The state has not shown mercy to its people, leaving them hostage to merchants, the dollar, and the corrupt. People turn to water pipes as they have become their only outlet, with one saying, "With so many worries, puff on your hookah,” but what if tobacco and charcoal run out? Only then will the revolution ignite and the situation explode, which is perhaps why the Governor of the Central Bank ensures the availability of tobacco... Smile, for you are in the wonderful country of Lebanon.
