The Minister of Economy and Trade in the Lebanese caretaker government, Amin Salam, announced the start of pricing food commodities and products in supermarkets in US dollars, starting today, Wednesday, stressing that he resisted the dollar pricing decision for more than six months and did not agree with that, considering that people cannot be left behind. It is subject to randomness, chaos and mismanagement - as he described it.

Salam considered, in a press conference on Tuesday, that the Lebanese state has adopted a bad financial and monetary system during the past decades - as he put it, explaining that the past financial and monetary system has ended, indicating that the current stage is the last episode of the complete collapse of the structure - as he put it.

He pointed out that the current data confirms that the exchange rate of the dollar against the Lebanese pound will rise due to the absence of positive data that contribute to reducing the exchange rate of the dollar, stressing that he did not take the decision to price in dollars randomly, but rather in coordination with the Parliamentary Economy and Trade Committee and experts who considered that the merits of this decision at this stage. more than its disadvantages, stressing that the decision can be modified in the event of any negative repercussions on the citizen.

Salam said that the Lebanese currency was disguised and exploited and consumed due to the financial policies in place, which were based on importing more than 90 percent of the goods consumed by the citizen in all fields, indicating that there is manipulation in the markets, while the ministry monitors according to the available capabilities.

He added, "I confirm that I will open the door wide on the issue of pricing in dollars, and if the supermarket takes advantage of this new step, then its files in financial crimes must be opened and held accountable. The price in pounds was a mask for the exploitation of the currency, and the printing of the pound forced us to carry bundles of cash for shopping. Printing leads to inflation." ".

He stressed that the dollarization of prices does not mean forcing the consumer to pay in dollars, explaining that the choice will be left to him to pay in dollars or in pounds according to the dollar exchange rate announced on the door of the supermarket.
  Source: Middle East News Agency