The Bank of Lebanon reiterated its wish to provide commercial banks participating in the Sayrafa program with dollars even though it had indicated that it lacked foreign currency yesterday to continue the subsidy program for the purchase of drugs.
According to the officials of the Banque du Liban, it would be a question of regulating the parallel market. Thus, banks or authorized money changers will have to ask their customers for proof of identity in order to buy or sell dollars. This policy aims to prevent the implementation of a speculative policy for the benefit of the dollar and to the detriment of the Lebanese pound. Any stockbroker violating this provision could have their license revoked by the Banque du Liban itself.
The news comes as some money changers have indicated that a large portion of their customers would refuse to present an identity card for amounts ranging from $ 100 to $ 5,000.
This measure aims to prevent Lebanese households from accumulating foreign currency for local consumption. Only people who have to send funds abroad could thus be authorized to sell green tickets.
Observers are therefore wondering about the real financial capacity of the Banque du Liban to meet its objective, while its available monetary reserves would be on the verge of being exhausted, after having signaled the end of the purchase financing program. drugs from yesterday.