According to Kafalat, the number of granted guarantees increased from 143 in the first quarter (Q1) of 2015 to 172 in Q1 2016 and their value rose from $19.6M in Q1 2015 to $24.3M in Q1 2016.
In terms of geographic allocation, the highest number of Kafalat guarantees was granted in the region of Mount Lebanon, and represented 37.79% of the total. The number of guarantees in the Bekaa region represented 27.91% of the total while the number of guarantees granted in the North of Lebanon constituted 12.21% of the total.
Kafalat loan guarantees given in Mount Lebanon increased from 63 in Q1 2015 to 65 in Q1 2016, those granted in the Bekaa region inched up from 27 in Q1 2015 to 48 in Q1 2016. Likewise, the number of guarantees went up in the North of Lebanon, going from 17 in Q1 2015 to reach 21 in 2016.
The sectors benefitting from the biggest number of Kafalat guarantees were Agriculture with a 48.26% share in the total, Industry with a 30.23% share, and Tourism with a 15.7% share.
The number of guarantees granted for the agricultural sector increased from 66 in the first three months of 2015 to 83 in the first three months of 2016. The number of guarantees for the industrial sector slightly improved from 50 in Q1 2015 to 52 in Q1 2016 while the number of guarantees for the tourism sector registered 27 by the end of March 2016, up from 14 guarantees in March 2015.
Value of Kafalat Guarantees in Q1 (in $)
Source: Kafalat