Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments on Lebanon’s escalating economic-financial-fiscal crisis appeared in the article titled “Lebanon’s creditors adopt crash position as default risk worsens” published in the FT on 16th Nov 2019. The full article can be accessed at: https://www.ft.com/content/11d008d6-07b5-11ea-a984-fbbacad9e7dd Comments are posted below: Nasser Saidi, a former BdL vice-governor and former economy and trade minister, said different approaches were needed to ease the debt servicing burden of Lebanon’s foreign currency and local currency debts. Mr Saidi said that maturities on local debt could be extended and interest rates lowered, if BdL, local banks and pension funds were to agree with the measures. He added that multilateral development banks and foreign donors... Read More

Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments on Lebanon’s escalating economic-financial-fiscal crisis appeared in the article titled “Economic Crisis Looms as Protests Rage in Lebanon” published in the New York Times on 15th Nov 2019. The full article can be accessed at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/world/middleeast/lebanon-protests-economy.html  Comments are posted below: “The problem is that the current policies are unsustainable,” said Nasser Saidi, a former Lebanese economy minister. Putting the country on the right track would require simultaneously dealing with a large budget deficit and bringing down public debt — a gargantuan task. “You really don’t have much choice,” he said. “You are at the edge of the precipice and you are looking down, so unless you do... Read More