Our source has obtained a copy of a decision issued by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, head of the Government of National Unity, allocating LYD 148.5 million to subsidize bread for a period of three months. The initiative will be overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, amid rising bread prices.
The decision notes that technical bodies have expressed surprise at the exclusion of the Ministry of Economy and Trade from implementing the bread subsidy initiative, despite the fact that departments under its supervision and technical oversight are linked to the Bakers’ Syndicate and flour-supply companies.
The decision adds that technical bodies have pointed out that the Ministry of Economy and Trade has an integrated system for monitoring flour consumption nationwide and determining annual per capita consumption, even though implementation of the bread subsidy initiative has been assigned to the Ministries of Industry and Minerals and Finance.
The decision further states that technical bodies consider the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy and Trade to be the legally authorized body responsible for monitoring the flow of goods and ensuring the direct supply of flour to mills and bakeries. This has raised questions about the ministry’s exclusion from implementing the bread subsidy initiative.
