NNA - An International Monetary Fund mission concluded on Friday a series of intensive meetings in Lebanon held between September 15 and 18, as part of efforts to advance reforms and prepare for a Staff-Level Agreement (SLA).

The final meeting at the Finance Ministry brought together Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Economy and Trade Minister Amer Bisat, representatives of the Presidency and government, Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid, officials from relevant Finance Ministry departments and institutions, and IMF mission chief Ernesto Rigo and his technical delegation.

Jaber said discussions covered the banking sector and broader economic and fiscal issues, with particular focus on the financial gap law. He stressed that resolving the seven-year banking crisis could no longer be delayed and said adoption of the law would allow work to begin on recovering depositors’ funds and restoring the banking sector’s economic role.

Souaid said work on the financial regularization and deposit recovery law was continuing, with positive amendments under consideration. He said $8.1 billion would have been returned to depositors by the end of 2026 under Circulars 158 and 166, stressing the need for realistic and implementable commitments.