Banque du Liban has reiterated its commitment to continuing payments to depositors under Circulars 158 and 166, emphasizing the importance of these measures in supporting depositors’ financial capacity and stabilizing the broader economy.
In an official statement, the central bank highlighted that since the onset of the Lebanese banking crisis 2019, strict restrictions have been imposed on bank deposits, limiting access, particularly to foreign currency accounts, for both residents and non-residents.
Pending a comprehensive financial recovery plan and necessary banking reforms, the central bank noted that these circulars remain the primary legal mechanism available to inject liquidity into the system. Through Circulars 158 and 166, more than $2.5 billion in cash dollars are distributed annually, funded by mandatory reserves held by commercial banks at the central bank—funds that effectively belong to depositors.
According to the statement, a total of 578,770 depositors had benefited from the two circulars by the end of March 2026. Of these, 266,166 individuals, representing 46%, have fully recovered their deposits held in designated sub-accounts.
Monthly disbursements under the two circulars slightly declined from $242.2 million in February 2026 to $240.4 million in March 2026, marking a decrease of $1.8 million, or 0.73%. Commercial banks contributed approximately $28.36 million, around 11.8% of the March total, while the central bank covered the remaining 88.2%.
The number of applications submitted by depositors to benefit from the circulars reached 610,624, while total payments made by both the central bank and commercial banks amounted to $6.109 billion by the end of March 2026. Banque du Liban accounted for $4.183 billion (68.46%) of these payments, compared to $1.926 billion (31.54%) covered by banks.
Notably, all depositors eligible under Circular 158 since its launch on July 1, 2021, those with balances of $40,200 or less, had fully recovered their funds by the end of April 2026.
