Une banque libanaise, la Fransabank, aurait refusé de restituer 347 millions dollars à la caisse sociale koweitienne, annonce le quotidien Al Rai, après que celle-ci lui en aurait fait la demande en raison des risques à investir au Liban.
La Fransabank se serait retranchée derrière la Banque du Liban estimant qu’elle n’est pas autorisée à transférer les sommes déposées sur 2 comptes dans un pays tiers.
Cette information intervient alors que les banques libanaises sont déjà considérées comme insolvables par les agences de notation après avoir instauré un contrôle informel des capitaux. Les principales banques libanaises se sont vues être attribuées par les agences de notation un état de défaut sélectif et ont par le passé déjà, refusé le rapatriement de fonds appartenant à des entreprises étrangères.
Banks heavily impacted by the economic crisis
Lebanese banks, for their part, are heavily impacted by the economic crisis that Lebanon is going through. This crisis came to light with the famous foreign currency shortages in May 2019, first blamed on logistical problems by the Banque du Liban before finally recognizing that private institutions were facing major liquidity crises. . The ABL then implemented informal capital controls in November 2019.
So far, Lebanese banks generally refuse to allow depositors to freely dispose of their funds.
As early as 2019, many incidents had then broken out in bank branches, with depositors demanding to be able to withdraw their funds, which bank officials refused when the breakdown of losses in the banking sector, estimated at 69 billion dollars, should soon be detailed. according to the Mikati III government, 83 billion dollars according to the previous government, a figure close to that of the IMF and 103 billion dollars according to certain rating agencies.
In total, the top 14 Lebanese banks alone would require an injection of $ 65 billion, well beyond the possibilities of economic aid estimated at $ 26 billion. Also, haircuts on eurobonds or even on part of Lebanese bonds seem to become inevitable, despite the increase in equity on the decision of a circular from the Banque du Liban.
