Comments on Lebanon & the IMF in France-24, 29 Dec 2021

30 December, 2021
read < 1 minute
image_pdfimage_print

Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments were part of an Associated press article. Titled “Slow progress as Lebanon awaits IMF economic deal“, the article was published on 29th December 2021, in many newspapers including France 24.

 

Former vice governor of the central bank, Nasser Saidi, suggested the IMF would want to examine the audit, but Chami said no demands had yet been made.

“We don’t know if a forensic audit, or any audit, will be part of a potential IMF program,” Chami said.

A potential IMF agreement will ultimately bring in other donors, such as the World Bank and Gulf Arab states, who may demand it as a precondition for support. “We need to understand what is going on inside the central bank,” Chami said. “There is a total lack of transparency.”

For Saidi, a key question is the actual value of central bank reserves and the real value of financial sector losses.

“There seems to be no willingness to undertake a forensic audit,” he said, but added that the “bottom line is the IMF will be looking –- before anything — for promises of good governance.”

Read Next

media page

Comments on the UAE-EU CEPA negotiations in The National, 11 Apr 2025

Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments on the UAE starting negotiations for a CEPA with the EU

11 April, 2025

media page

Comments on US trade tariffs and GCC trade ties in Energy Intelligence, Apr 2025

Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments on the US reciprocal tariffs and the GCC trade ties appeared

11 April, 2025

media page

Comments on “Can Lebanon’s new central bank governor break the cycle of economic crisis?” in Arab News, 31 Mar 2025

Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments appeared in an Arab News article titled “Can Lebanon’s new central

1 April, 2025