Bank Audi to provide $200M for green energy projects. Audi secures $90 million from European Bank and $10 million from TaiwanICDF

Bank Audi said it will offer $200 million in financing for green energy projects. Ventures to be funded include projects that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.

Financing will be funded by a $90 million loan obtained from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and a concessional facility worth $10 million from the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF). The remaining $100 million will be financed from Bank Audi'...

Article details

Average maturity of deposits nearly quadruples in one year. Longer tenure reduces risks of bank runs

The average maturity of deposits has increased to 5.7 months, up from just 45 days before the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri in November 2017. The average maturity had been stable at around 45 days for 20 years.

"The average maturity of deposits is still rising and the fact that depositors are engaging in longer maturities is a signal of confidence. A longer maturity also enables us to face any emerging crisis," said a source at the Central Bank. More than two-thirds of total d...

Article details

US sanctions against Iran will not affect local banks. Lenders are already in full compliance

Local banks will not be affected if SWIFT complies with U.S. sanctions against Iran, which have been put into effect.

SWIFT, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, provides financial messaging services, such as money transfer instructions, between banks across the world.

Makram Sader, Secretary General of the Association of Banks, said that Lebanese banks don't have any correspondent relationships with Iranian banks. Local banks stopped de facto dealings e...

Article details

$66.3 million interest subsid for housing loans for one yea. Loans granted via the Public Corporation for Housing

Parliament has approved the allocation of LL100 billion ($66.3 million) to subsidize the interest rates of housing loans for one year.

The loans eligible for the subsidies are those that are provided through the state-owned Public Corporation for Housing (PCH) and that target low and middle-income people. Borrowers can expect to pay around 3.74 percent interest. PCH loans have a ceiling of $180,000.

The value of the subsidy corresponds to loans worth some LL1,000 billion ($663 mill...

Article details

Lump sum tax postponed again. In response to demands by private sector

The lump sum tax on businesses and professionals has been temporarily suspended.

The decision was made following an agreement between the President of the Republic, the caretaker Prime Minister, and caretaker Minister of Finance.

The Ministry of Finance said that taxpayers were asking the authorities to postpone this tax once again, and that he is well aware of the current economic and financial challenges. The government has postponed the levying of this controversial tax since 20...

Article details