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Geagea: LF Ministers to Reject Financial Regularization Law

This is Beirut, 2025-12-23 13:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Chief of the Lebanese Forces (LF) party, Samir Geagea, confirmed on Tuesday that LF ministers will vote against the Financial Regularization Law in the Council of Ministers, citing its failure to return depositors’ funds. In his remarks at the Graduates’ Body dinner at the party headquarters in Maarab, Geagea said, “the criterion is simple: ...

IMF Reservations Fuel Dispute Over Financial Gap Law

This is Beirut, 2025-12-23 13:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

International Monetary Fund Lebanon Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Hezbollah

Nidaa al-Watan reported Tuesday that controversy persists over the leaked draft Financial Gap Law, amid claims that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is dissatisfied and has raised reservations. While the draft is expected to be circulated to ministers ahead of a possible Cabinet vote, political and diplomatic circles cited by the newspaper ...

Lebanon’s Cabinet Divided Over Controversial Financial Gap Law

This is Beirut, 2025-12-22 20:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam International Monetary Fund Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Gap Law

The controversial financial Gap Law presented as key to resolving Lebanon’s enduring banking crisis that deprived depositors of their savings, topped discussions at Monday’s cabinet meeting, exposing differences among ministers. The session, attended by Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid, was adjourned and will resume Tuesday to ...

BDL: IMF Concerns on Financial Gap Law Are Risky and Inconsistent

This is Beirut, 2025-12-18 14:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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The Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) issued observations regarding the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s recent comments on the financial gap bill. BDL described the IMF’s remarks as risky and inconsistent with accounting and financial standards, noting that there is no historical precedent in a systemic crisis where a state first erodes the ...

Lebanon Debate: Gap Law Risks Bankrupting Banks, Wiping out Depositors

This is Beirut, 2025-12-18 12:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Lebanon Banque du Liban Nawaf Salam

The following article, originally written on Thursday by Lebanon Debate, is reproduced here in full to highlight their analysis of the proposed financial gap bill and its potential impact on depositors and the Lebanese banking sector: “Once again, Nawaf Salam’s government is rushing to pass the financial gap law before the end of the year, ...

Financial Gap Threatens Depositors Amid Government Inaction

Nadia al-Hallak for Houna Loubnan, 2025-12-13 20:12 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Banque du Liban Middle East

Amid ongoing government debates over the draft law addressing the financial shortfall and the fate of deposits, concern is growing within economic and banking circles over the plan’s potential direction. Each new draft leak highlights a deep disagreement—over how losses should be allocated and the extent of the burden the state must shoulder ...

Yassine Jaber: Your Own Words Confirm the Crisis Is Systemic!

This is Beirut, 2025-12-13 16:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber’s recent statements stand out for his comparison of the Lebanese financial crisis with those in countries such as Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal. In this comparison, he is once again off the mark. In fact, Cyprus experienced only a conventional banking crisis, while Greece and Portugal faced financial crises ...

Financial Restructuring: Fadi Khalaf Cautions Against a “Partial” Approach

This is Beirut, 2025-12-08 13:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks Lebanon ABL Central Bank of Lebanon

The Secretary-General of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), Dr. Fadi Khalaf, has cautioned that any financial restructuring confined to the banking sector is likely to fail unless accompanied by comprehensive state reform. In his editorial for the ABL’s November report, published Monday, Khalaf emphasized that Lebanon’s ...

Money Laundering: BDL Introduces Next-Generation KYC

Liliane Mokbel, 2025-11-14 18:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon Lebanon Hezbollah US Treasury economy money laundering

On November 14, 2025, BDL issued Decision No. 13769, Circular No. 3, introducing a new “Know Your Customer” (KYC) form for all cash, foreign exchange, and money transfer transactions of $1,000 or more, and their equivalent. The measure applies to all non-banking financial institutions under BDL’s supervision, including financial companies, ...

Cutting Off Hezbollah’s Iranian Lifeline

Liliane Mokbel, 2025-11-10 16:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The time has come to deprive Hezbollah of its footing and halt its systematic effort to dismantle what remains of the Lebanese state. John Hurley, the Under Secretary of the U.S. Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated last week that there is now a favorable opening in Lebanon to disrupt Iranian funding to Hezbollah and exert ...

Public Finances Recovering, but Stability Remains Fragile

Liliane Mokbel, 2025-11-07 17:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Central Bank of Lebanon EDL economy finance

The rebound in Lebanese state deposits at the central bank (BDL), estimated at nearly $800 million, marks a rare financial upswing amid the prolonged crisis that began in 2019. It is a welcome breath of fresh air, but still far from a genuine structural recovery of public finances. Above all, this renewed momentum reflects the early stages of a ...

BDL Launches Judicial Audit of Payments Since 2019

This is Beirut, 2025-11-04 18:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon

Karim Souhaid, Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL), announced Tuesday that the BDL, in coordination with the Ministers of Finance and Justice, will draw up terms of reference for an external financial and judicial audit of all beneficiaries of the basic goods support program since October 17, 2019. The initiative will be launched through ...

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