Lebanon fuel syndicate head denies gasoline quality rumors

George Braks, head of the Lebanese fuel station owners' syndicate, has denied rumors regarding the low quality or abnormal evaporation rates of imported gasoline in Lebanon. He clarified that claims regarding tests conducted by students at the American University of Beirut showing defects in fuel lack any official report or statement from the institution.

Braks explained that fuel shipments undergo rigorous multi-stage inspections before being allowed into the market. The monitoring process involves three distinct entities: an auditing company appointed by the importer, a monitoring body appointed by the Ministry of Energy, and a company commissioned by the supplier. Furthermore, no shipment can be unloaded at Lebanese ports without authorization from the Directorate General of Oil, which is only granted after samples confirm compliance with national specifications.

To illustrate the strictness of these controls, Braks cited an incident two months ago where the Minister of Energy refused to allow two tankers to unload due to sulfur levels reaching 16 ppm, exceeding the required 10 ppm limit. He concluded that allegations of fraudulent or substandard gasoline in the market are baseless.