Nationwide Fuel Station Strike Called for 18 September
Category: Transportation
Severity: 3 (Moderate)
Source: Drum Cussac
09/17/2019 (Lebanon) - International media outlets report that fuel station owners nationwide are planning a nationwide strike on Wednesday, 18 September. The protest is due to the government's failure to provide enough US dollars to pay suppliers. The businesses say that local banks lack the hard currency they need, forcing them to buy dollars at exchange houses above the fixed rate of 1,507.5 Lebanese pounds to the US dollar. The Energy Ministry prices gasoline and diesel on a weekly basis in dollars but customers mostly pay in the local currency, leaving retailers with Lebanese pounds that need to be converted to close letters of credit to suppliers.
Members in Lebanon should be aware of the potential for disruption at fuel stations across the country in the immediate to medium term due to short supplies and increasing demand. Travellers should factor fuel availability into any overland travel plans, minimising non-essential journeys and carrying increased reserves in vehicles. Travellers are advised to avoid all demonstrations associated with the strike due to the risk of exposure to potential crowd disturbances and incidental violence.
Copyright © 2024 Drum Cussac
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