Lebanon banks reject rescue plan, govt seeks IMF help
BEIRUT/LONDON: An economic rescue plan that will form the basis of Lebanon’s talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was panned by banks on Friday as one that would “further destroy confidence” in the country. The comments, which could hold sway with the IMF given banks are among the largest holders of Lebanon’s debt, coincided with Beirut signing a request for assistance from the Fund on Friday in what Prime Minister Hassan Diab described as “a historic moment in the history of Lebanon”.
The rescue plan, approved by Diab’s government on Thursday, sets out tens of billions of dollars in financial sector losses and tough measures to claw out of a crisis that has seen the currency crash, unemployment soar, Lebanon default on its sovereign debt and street protests. Some economists and diplomats welcomed the plan as a critical first step to recovery, but they were sceptical that ambitious reforms to cut public sector spending and overhaul the banking sector could be enacted after years of feet dragging.
“This means the onset of serious negotiations with the IMF so this is very important and good news because it removes a lot of uncertainty. Having said that, the issue in Lebanon has always been one of execution,” former economy minister Nasser Saidi said of the 53-page plan.
Lebanon’s banking association said it could in “no way” endorse a plan it was not consulted on despite being “a key part of any solution”. The association called on members of parliament to reject it in part for infringing on private property rights. The plan does not require the parliament to pass it. “As laid out in the Plan, the domestic (bank) restructuring will further destroy confidence in
Lebanon both domestically and internationally ... (and) is likely to deter investment in the economy thereby hindering any recovery prospects,” the association’s statement said.
A central plank of the plan rests on covering financial sector losses of roughly $70 billion in part by a bank shareholder bail-in that would wipe out their capital and cash from large depositors that would be restored later. The banking association called revenue and expenditure measures “vague” and not backed by a precise timeline, and said the plan did not address inflationary pressures that could lead to hyperinflation.
A source close to the banking sector said the IMF was likely to consult the banks on the rescue plan before moving forward. The source said the association was planning to present a plan of its own to the government in one to two weeks. The government is hoping that with an IMF program in hand, foreign donors will release about $11 billion pledged at a Paris conference in 2018 which was tied to long-stalled reforms. — Reuters