The Ministry of Energy and Water in Lebanon will launch a tender for gasoline in December, according to the Minister of Energy, Nada Boustani, Zawya reported.

Boustani said that the tender would supply about 10% of the country’s needs as Lebanon seeks 150,000 tons of 95 octane gasoline. The deadline for the offers is December 2.

The tender aims to stave off potential supply shortages brought on by the country’s worsening economic conditions, although a state tender for gasoline is unusual in import-dependent Lebanon, where fuel is typically procured by private companies.

According to Boustani, private investors have been seeking to increase petrol pump prices to compensate for the increasing price of dollars in the black market.

“It’s only the private market that imports this kind of fuel. But we decided to import ourselves as a trial for the moment because of the crisis that has been surrounding this sector,” the minister said.