Lebanese depositors irate over closed banks
Banks in Lebanon have been shut down for nearly a week amid fears of a bank run.
BEIRUT — The Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) announced Sept. 25 that banks across the country would reopen their doors Sept. 26 after they had been closed for five days following a spate of heists carried out by depositors to recover their frozen savings.
On Sept. 26, several banks opened their doors to clear some urgent banking operations, namely for commercial, educational and medical institutions, while transactions for ATMs have also resumed for all clients, according to a statement by the ABL.
The statement continued that the salaries of public sector employees will also be available after transferring them from the central bank, as well as the domiciled salaries of private sector employees.
As for individual depositors, the measures remain unclear as each bank is adopting its own steps. For instance, a bank in Beirut has reopened two of its branches to provide services for institutions only. Meanwhile, individuals can only reach this bank’s customer service by phone or make withdrawals and deposits through the ATM.
