He said he does not hide any numbers. The governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon rejects the prime minister's accusations

The Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, rejected on Wednesday the accusations that the Prime Minister made to him, Diab's account, last week, saying that he does not hide any figures regarding the bank's budget nor is he alone in taking his decisions.

Salama said in a press conference that there is no information about the central bank accounts hidden from the government, explaining that the bank publishes every 15 days its budget that includes its assets, and publishes its financial results annually in the official gazette.

The Governor of the Lebanese Central Bank considered that when it is said that the Central Bank and its governor are responsible for the financial crisis in the country, this is part of a programmed campaign against the bank’s ruler.

The independence of the bank
, and the same spokesman stressed that the law regulating the work of the central bank guarantees its independence from the rest of the authorities in the country, including the government, and determines its method of work regarding determining monetary policy or managing accounts.

On Friday, the Lebanese Prime Minister stated that the Governor of the Banque du Liban was responsible for a currency crisis that would further destabilize the country.

Diab directed during a cabinet session held under the chairmanship of President Michel Aoun a sharp attack to the governor of the central bank, accusing his monetary policies of vague and suspicious, which weakened the exchange rate of currency.

Salama responded to Diab's accusations by saying that if the government fails to implement the reforms, then this is not the responsibility of the central bank, denying his unilateral decision-making within the bank responsible for determining the country's monetary policy.

Salama said that the bank has a central council in which its membership is guaranteed for the ministries of finance and the economy, and the board takes decisions related to approving the bank’s budget and sealing its accounts.

The Lebanese official added that on March 9, 2020, the Prime Minister handed over the Central Bank accounts and the auditing accounts issued by two international companies that have been in charge of auditing the bank’s accounts since 1993.

Qassem and Basil,
criticism of the work of the Central Bank of Lebanon was issued in the recent period by political parties alongside the prime minister. Lebanese media yesterday, Sheikh Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, criticized the Central Bank for the record depreciation of the pound against the dollar, and said that the governor The bank bears partial responsibility.

Before that, the President of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, criticized the Central Bank, blaming him for a great responsibility regarding the losses that occurred, pointing to the lack of transparency and cooperation on the part of the bank.

On the other hand, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri warned against the dismissal of the governor of the Central Bank, saying that this would lead to a decline in the currency and threatening the deposits of the Lebanese.