Lebanese Energy Minister: The gasoline crisis was caused by smuggling to Syria

Lebanese Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar said: “The main reason behind the fuel crisis in Lebanon is smuggling to neighboring Syria, which in turn suffers from a shortage of fuel.”

This came during a meeting to discuss the fuel crisis with the caretaker prime minister, Hassan Diab, and other officials.

He added, “It became clear to us that the main reason for the scarcity is smuggling out of Lebanese territory because of the difference in prices between Lebanon and Syria.”

He explained, “The need in the Syrian market for gasoline drives the Lebanese smugglers to smuggle gasoline into Syria to achieve huge profits, given that this material is supported by the Lebanese state for Lebanese citizens.”

He pointed out that the price of a gasoline canister in Lebanon is 40,000 Lebanese pounds, while the official price in Syria is 140,000 Syrian pounds, and on the black market it is 240,000 pounds, and the need in the Syrian market for gasoline drives the Lebanese smugglers to smuggle gasoline into Syria to achieve huge profits. .

Citizens who are financially able resort to buying the smuggled petrol from Lebanon, which is especially widespread in the border areas, instead of standing for long hours to get a limited amount of petrol at the stations