2024-08-17 05:00:11
“This is an awakening and we start working as if we have been in a state of emergency for more than two and a half years,” Salame added in an interview with Dial, stressing that the Ministry of Economy has been working in a state of emergency. state and within more than two and a half years of emergency planning, that is, before the war began, on bread, wheat, prices and livelihood issues, in addition to the Ukrainian-Russian war and the Red Sea incident.
He continued, “We initially turned to the World Bank at some stage because there was no garbage in the country and the central bank had no money and it was impossible to maintain stability in wheat and flour prices except through a transparent program. of stability.
Salam continued, “The World Bank loan to support wheat was supposed to end a year after it was approved, but it lasted two and a half years because we stopped smuggling and limited the quantities, for the first time in Lebanese history. , published a table showing the amount of flour consumed by bakeries, so we created a so-called rationalization support through this program, whereby the price of a loaf of bread gradually increases in parallel with the economic situation and the increase in the dollar exchange rate, so that this increase does not have a significant impact on citizens (That is, its price will not rise from 1,500 lire to 50,000 lire all at once).
He pointed out that “after the end of the World Bank program and the elimination of subsidies for wheat and flour, the price of a loaf of bread will not increase by more than 13 or 15 thousand lire”, considering that “the elimination of subsidies has been exaggerated” for nothing more than personal purposes in the hope of gaining profit.
“The price of wheat does not significantly affect the price of a loaf of bread, but it affects the price of diesel, sugar, nylon bags and the wages of employees and workers,” Salam noted, emphasizing that 90% of citizens would not be able to feel the cost of a loaf of bread. The price has increased because we have been working hard to gradually increase its price in a scientific way.
He promised “no need to worry about the bread being cut off”.
Salam revealed that “even if support is lifted naturally, importers will continue to import grains and wheat, so imports will be freed up and they will be able to import in large quantities, perhaps more than before, because they will be freed from grain and wheat restrictions. “World Bank. “
Salam expressed his concern that “Lebanon will deliberately block the maritime facilities through the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, as well as Rafik Hariri International Airport, especially where wheat and most food supplies enter.”
Regarding the issue of food, he said: “The Ministry of Economy has developed two plans, the first of which depends on close follow-up by the private sector and we will communicate with all importers and unions as soon as orders are reduced. Supermarkets, poultry, meat categories, etc., and stressed the need to keep “orders” in place so that they can inform the Ministry of Economy of the situation so that any shortfalls on the market can be quickly filled, and we also ask for an expedited procedure.
Regarding the expiration of the World Bank loan term in August this year, Salam said: “We are able to maintain the loan for another month, that is, until the end of September, and we have about two months of subsidized wheat available to the country.”
Regarding the second plan developed by the Ministry of Economy for food issues, Salam said that it is “a studied redistribution of all imported products, especially in the areas of displacement in the south and in some areas of the Bekaa, so that we Store products in stores to a greater extent to ensure the needs of the displaced.”
Within the framework of the emergency program, Salame spoke about “the automation of transactions by the Ministry of Economy for importers and merchants to reduce the burden of their time, especially during this delicate phase that the country is going through, so that importers and merchants can now Transactions are completed online with the Ministry of Economy and goods can be entered through the port without having to travel to the port.
He noted that “this process saves importers weeks of delays, creates huge cost savings for transaction trackers, prevents any corruption, either at the port or in any administration, and eases the financial burden on consumers , as this matter is reflected in the price and availability of the goods.
“The plan is updated based on the situation and has been integrated with the government’s plans into a comprehensive plan,” Salam continued.
Salam expressed surprise at the failure to declare a state of emergency, which gives the government special powers to take decisions in such extraordinary circumstances without consulting the House of Representatives, including requesting support from the international community, particularly on fuel, medical supplies and medical equipment.
On the issue of generators, Salam said, “When we noticed some irregularities on the part of generator owners who were trying to exploit people in difficult circumstances by raising fees, not complying with national pricing or removing meters, from here we initiated slogan of disobedience.”
“Within 12 hours, I contacted the security services and the judiciary, we managed to arrest them, and the next day they came to my office to apologize and promised not to tamper with pricing or cut off the supply chain,” he noted. .
Salam revealed, “(The main strike) will be to install electricity meters and hold generator owners accountable in the city of Beirut. We will launch a fierce campaign against the problem of generators in the oppressed city of Beirut because violations will no longer be punished.” accept.
Salam insisted on praising Qatar’s efforts to help Lebanon, stressing that he “will not abandon the pursuit of the archives of power plants provided by the State of Qatar until reaching Nijah, as they are sustainable solutions”, considering that “there are unreasonable The reason for not accepting aid from Qatar is unclear. “
Salam stressed that he will remain optimistic until we reach the Lebanon we want, “According to my predictions, by 2025, within the framework of the Lebanese Initiative, there will be a qualitative transformation at the level of the entire region.” Mohamed The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led by Prince bin Salman, is committed to achieving zero conflict in the region and I believe its characteristics will soon emerge, “I hope Lebanon can take this train that Saudi Arabia has asked for.”, Zero conflict, bring prosperity and comfort to these tired people and we will benefit from this opportunity.
He believes that “the dark clouds covering the country will not last long, but will be fleeting, and their characteristics will become clear after the US election at the end of this year” and emphasized that “the economy and society will be better in 2025.” On the other hand, discussions on the President of the Republic are expected to begin in the summer of 2025.
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