A service station near Bouar (Kesrouan). (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros/OLJ)
BEIRUT— The gas station owners’ syndicate said on Monday in a statement that “some distribution companies have refrained” from delivering fuel, while others have delivered it “in very small quantities.”
Here’s what we know:
• The syndicate attributed fuel shortages to distributors’ unwillingness to supply the stations, but said that activities will resume on Tuesday following the weekly issuing of the new price list by the Energy Ministry.
• There is also panic in international markets due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which pushed oil prices up to a seven-year high on the global market. According to local station owners, importers do not agree with the rate at which prices are updated and therefore choose to limit distribution as much as possible or even suspend it until prices rise, thus “creates a shortage that does not exist.”
• The union calls on the Energy Minister to take appropriate measures and to ensure a supply of diesel via oil facilities and limit importers' control over the market.
• The union also apologized to citizens for not accepting payments via bank cards, a mechanism that they said makes them bear “many losses” because they are forced to pay for fuel in cash.