Saying that he is evaluating the information from the banking authority, Bifani added, "The banks, which did not allow depositors to withdraw even $ 100, smuggled money between 5.5 and 6 billion dollars."
The crisis caused banks to set unusual rules in October. Accordingly, depositors can withdraw less than $ 200 every two weeks and are not allowed to transfer money abroad. These restrictions are not based on the government, but on the decisions taken by banks themselves.
Despite these measures, according to the data of the Lebanese Central Bank, the foreign currency deposits, which were 82 billion dollars in October, decreased to 71 billion dollars in May. According to the Director of the Central Bank, Riad Salame, the reason for this decrease is the payment of local loans.
Bifani compares the current situation with the Lebanese Civil War, which began in 1975 and lasted 15 years.
PEOPLE FACING STARVATION
In March, $ 90 billion of public debt in Lebanon fell into default. The country's gross domestic product is expected to decrease by 13.8 percent this year. The Lebanese Lira lost 80 percent in the black market. Inflation has reached 56 percent. Millions of people face hunger threats due to the economic crisis and corona virus outbreak in the country.