
Lebanese lenders have tightened restrictions on US dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad/Bloomberg
by BloombergLebanese banks are at risk of having to close if the country’s politicians fail to form a government amid a deepening financial and economic crisis that is already seen lenders impose measures to restrict the movement of capital.
According to Lebanon’s union of bank employees, the situation is dangerous and cannot continue as such without an executive authority and we might reach a point where we are forced to close.
Lebanese president appointed Hassan Diab, an academic and a former education minister, to form a new cabinet but disputes among officials have delayed the process.
Diab has insisted on a government of experts to help the country manage its crisis while the president and his allies insist on naming ministers with a political background.
Lebanese lenders have tightened restrictions on US dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad since protests erupted against the government’s decision to raise fees and taxes.
Similarly, the central bank has also been rationing foreign currency and using its dwindling reserves to cover the import of essentials such as fuel and pharmaceuticals. The measures have forced traders to turn to money changers to meet their dollar needs, creating a parallel rate higher than the fixed exchange regime.
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