A report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine
A driver who works on the route between Lebanon and Syria can be seen on his return from Syria. He carries the temporary booklet on which he crosses the border.
There are few remaining slots in the booklet, and when they are filled, his work will stop.
At the Arida border crossing, as in Abboudieh, the outcry is the same.
The booklet is not available. This booklet is given to Lebanese citizens by customs. It consists of slots stamped upon entry and exit, and when the slots are used up, the booklet must be renewed, which is currently unavailable.
We hear the same outcry moving from Arida and Abboudieh in the north to the Al Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa.
There are no booklets at the customs centers. The temporary booklet that Lebanese citizens used to obtain from customs for 5,000 Lebanese pounds before the crisis is not available, knowing that its official price has now risen to 3,800,000,000, or about $40, as the drivers say.
The need of drivers who have work between Lebanon and Syria for this unavailable booklet has created a black market and brokers who benefit from it.
During the tour of the border crossings, it is clear that some can secure it for you at a price higher than the official price. They provide you with numbers. You call them and hear similar answers.
If the Lebanese driver cannot obtain the booklet in the black market, then the very desperate one obtains a permit from customs, which is used once but also incurs additional costs for them.
Customs sources indicate that the problem is related to printing, confirming that they are in the process of supplying customs centers with 4,000 booklets next week.
Will these booklets enter the black market again and reach the hands of brokers?