Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab issued the following statement today: “To remedy the repercussions of the Central Bank’s decision to lift fuel subsidies, which will have very huge impacts on people’s lives and add burdens that the Lebanese cannot bear, we have resorted today to a settlement that will relatively ease these burdens.”

He added: “The settlement includes the adoption of 8,000 Lebanese pounds for the pricing of fuel, as well as paying for the maintenance of electricity plants and services, with the state bearing the difference in loss in Lebanese pounds. This settlement is temporary, but is necessary before the start of the scholastic year and pending the start of work on the financing card that we are working to implement in early October.”

“Simultaneously, we took a decision to pay a month’s salary in two installments to all employees in the public sector, whatever their job positions, in addition to raising the value of the transportation allowance for employees to 24 thousand Lebanese pounds for each working day. We will also be studying the possibility of later including workers in public institutions and municipalities in said salary grant,” Diab continued to explain.

“We have agreed that the security forces, through the joint operations room, will be responsible for following-up on the quantities of fuel from the moment they arrive in Lebanon until they are sold to citizens,” he added, hoping that this measure “will prevent storage, monopoly and smuggling, and end the suffering of citizens in obtaining their needs of gasoline, diesel and gas without standing in queues.”

“What is required today is that this settlement not be lost and that it be fortified with strict security measures and with the awareness of citizens and the commitment of traders to it.”