Bakery owners in northern Lebanon have announced that they will close their doors tomorrow indefinitely due to a lack of flour and fuel needed to produce bread. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
BEIRUT — Bakery owners in northern Lebanon have announced that they will close their doors tomorrow indefinitely due to a lack of flour and fuel needed to produce bread.
• In a speech on Tuesday following a meeting of the union of northern bakery owners, the union’s head, Tarek el-Mir, said authorities had taken no action to ensure the proper distribution of flour and fuel in the northern. “We will shut down completely until we can get these raw materials,” he said.
• However, Tripoli Municipality President Riad Yamak called on residents of his city not to panic over the announcements, said fuel would be distributed on Wednesday and that the distribution of flour would take place in accordance with plans from the Economy Ministry.
• Flour, fuel and other products subsidized by Banque du Liban are short in supply as the central bank’s foreign reserves have reached critical lows, leading to delays in imports of essential goods and, in turn, hoarding of stocks on the part of importers.