The Food Importers Union, led by Hani Baha Selly, issued a statement on Thursday warning of the "significant repercussions of the strike announced by employees of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Consumer Protection Inspectors in the Ministry of Economy and Trade." The union highlighted that "many goods require inspections and approvals from the Ministry of Agriculture as well as examinations by consumer protection inspectors in the Ministry of Economy and Trade. Therefore, failing to conduct these steps could hinder the entry of these goods and incur additional costs for their owners, in addition to the risk of spoilage for certain types of food products."
The statement added, "What exacerbates the consequences of this issue is its occurrence before the month of Ramadan, when there are large quantities of imported food products arriving sequentially during this period to supply the markets." The union warned that "the halt in the process of releasing goods from the ports will inevitably lead to a severe shortage of goods in the markets, as well as a direct impact on Ramadan supplies." In light of this, the union urged the "government and its head, Najib Mikati, along with all parties concerned with this issue, to take the necessary measures to bring the employees back to work to secure supplies for the Lebanese market and meet citizens' food needs."
