Lebanon’s Balance of Payments (BoP) revealed a deficit of $356.3M in the first two months of 2016, compared to a higher deficit of $432.8M in the same period last year. In spite of the relative improvement, the overall weakening in European and GCCs economies might be still weighing on the remittances and Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to Lebanon.
Up until February, Net Foreign Assets (NFA) of the Central Bank (BDL) rose by $206.5M, while that of commercial banks fell by $562.8M.
However, in February alone, Lebanon’s BoP also registered a surplus of $362.6M, compared to a deficit of $718.9M in January 2016. NFAs of BDL grew by $161.7M and that of commercial banks inched up by $200.9M, from the prior month.
Balance of Payments Up to February ($M)
Source: Banque du Liban