Protests escalated across Lebanon Monday over fuel shortages and rising prices, and electricity and water outages.
The traffic control authority reported that crowds snarled traffic on a number of highways and main roads, prompting the army to intervene to clear the protesters. Long lines of vehicles formed at some of the pumps that opened, but motorists managed to get limited amounts of fuel.
The Directorate General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Energy announced in a statement that fuel import companies will not open today, and that when the stock in the market runs out, the door will be open for imports.”
“The long vehicle queues at petrol stations have persisted since last week, and that petroleum companies did not deliver fuel to the stations today as they waited for the introduction of a new payment mechanism by the Banque du Liban for existing stocks in the companies and in oil tankers in the sea”, the Gas Station Owners Syndicate said in a statement.
It said that some gas stations have stocks that were being distributed to citizens, but a large part of them will run out of stock in the evening.
The Gas Distributors Syndicate also said gas stocks have run out.
However, the syndicate sought to assuage public anger, saying that “within a week, we will witness a gradual breakthrough when the oil tankers start unloading and deliveries to the local market by importers will resume.
Source: Jordan News Agency