The head of the Federation of Tourist Syndicates, the head of the Syndicate of Hotel Owners in Lebanon, Pierre Ashkar, announced in a statement that after the escalation of the diesel crisis, “we reviewed and communicated with the stakeholders in the government and the Ministry of Energy and Water, which resulted in an understanding that allowed hotel establishments to import diesel for the benefit of their institutions.”

He pointed out that “the Ministry of Energy and Water, as a result of this understanding, issued Resolution No. 169, which allows hotel establishments to import diesel fuel from abroad.”

He pointed out that “in order to speed up this process, a mechanism was developed under the supervision of the ministry and in agreement with one of the companies importing fuels, which stipulated that each hotel determines its needs of diesel for a period of one month, so that it can deliver the required quantity from the agreed company.” He called on institutions wishing to benefit from this mechanism to “communicate with the union to give them the necessary information for this.”

He stressed that “this solution imposed by the difficult facts emerging on the ground, which prevented hotels from obtaining diesel, or obtaining it from the black market at exorbitant prices, exceeding its real, unsubsidized price, would greatly contribute to the continuity of the hotel establishments’ work.”

He pointed out that he “seeks to expand the scope of benefiting from this decision for various tourism institutions, including restaurants, marine tourism institutions, furnished apartments and guest houses, especially since the decision of the Ministry of Energy includes all vital sectors, including these institutions.”