The Balance of Payments (BoP) registered a deficit of $1.29B during the first eleven months of 2014 tightening from 2013’s level of $1.66B. Net foreign assets (NFA) of the Central Bank (BdL) increased $4.57B by November 2014, while those of commercial banks retreated by $5.86B. Despite the persisting trade deficit and the deteriorating tourism activity, the BoP’s deficit managed to tighten in the first eleven months of 2014 mainly on improving capital inflows and remittances from the Lebanese expatriates.
However, in November alone, the BoP recorded a deficit of $424.4M, substantially higher than the $192.0M deficit recorded in November 2013.