Six ships started unloading their fuel shipments in preparation for their distribution in Lebanon, the representative of fuel distributors, Fadi Abou Chakra, told the National News Agency (NNA) on Tuesday.
“The ships began unloading their loads of fuel at night, and the tankers will start distributing gasoline and diesel fuel to gas stations,” Abou Chakra said.
In light of that, he urged people in Lebanon to be “calm,” emphasizing that there are six fuel ships off Lebanese shores that have started unloading, “successively.”
Hours prior to Abou Chakra’s statement, the General Directorate of Oil had announced that it was preparing to issue the new pricelist of fuel on Tuesday at the new exchange rate of 3,900 Lebanese pounds per U.S. dollar.
It assured the public that importers would start distributing fuel to local gas stations and that the Central Bank of Lebanon had started opening credits for fuel ships docked off Lebanese coasts, prompting them to start unloading.
This will provide the local market with fuel in a “sustainable manner,” the Directorate said.
The Lebanese Central Bank had announced on Monday that it would start selling U.S. dollars to banks on the same day at 3,900 LBP/USD, to help cover fuel imports.
