Lebanon approves some banking law changes скачать в хорошем качестве

Lebanon approves some banking law changes

(19 Oct 2022) LEBANON PARLIAMENT BANKING SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS RESTRICTION SUMMARY: LENGTH: 2:03 ASSOCIATED PRESS Beirut, Lebanon - 18 October 2022 1. Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stepping out of car and walking to parliament building 2. Lebanese army soldiers outside the parliament 3. Various of lawmakers arriving at parliament building 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Akram Chehayeb, member of parliament: "Amending banking secrecy is a very important matter because it is one of the demanded reforms. We hope to achieve it under conditions that help people who have lost their money and their future in the banks. Banking secrecy is a World Bank demand (demands for reforms were made by the International Monetary Fund), and it is a just one." 5. Various of Lebanese lawmakers at beginning of session in parliament 6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Simon Abi Ramia, member of parliament: "During the discussion, each side will share their thoughts on the matter that is on the table. I am among those who say that we must go for the maximum extent of banking secrecy, that would of course be within regulations. But corruption needs to be a key subject, and we all know this is a key law for combating corruption. The president of the republic returned the law to the parliament with serious and substantial comments. We want to see how the discussion unfolds before we make our decision." 7. Cameramen 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Simon Abi Ramia, member of parliament: "The problem lies in the details. That is where we will see the positions of the lawmakers during the upcoming discussion. I told you, we need the go as far as we can to guarantee the rights of the people and depositors, and to combat corruption. But the core of the matter is to also have regulations." 9. Lebanese flag 10. Exterior of the Lebanese parliament building LEADIN: Lebanon has approved some banking law changes demanded by the International Monetary Fund before it agrees to a bailout. The IMF has made mandatory demands before finalizing the bailout program for the small Mediterranean nation that has been facing a historic economic meltdown. STORYLINE: Lebanon's parliament late Tuesday approved some amendments to a banking secrecy law that has been a key demand of the International Monetary Fund before it agrees to a bailout program amid the country's economic meltdown. Despite the changes, legal advocacy groups say the alterations to the law will likely not be enough to please the IMF because it restricts moves to lift banking secrecy provisions to judicial authorities. The decades-old law is seen by many as a way to hide the widespread corruption that brought the small nation to bankruptcy over the past three years. "We agreed on a law to lift banking secrecy with some amendments where we widely expanded the number of groups that can ask to lift banking secrecy," the head of parliament's finance and budget committee, Ibrahim Kanaan, said in a tweet. Among the amendments is the authority to lift banking secrecy off accounts retroactively to 1988. Since Lebanon's economic slide began in late 2019, three-quarters of the population of 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, plunged into poverty. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90% of its value. The international community has been demanding major reforms in order to help the corruption-plagued nation. Talks between Lebanon's government and the IMF began in May 2020 and reached a staff-level agreement in April. President Michel Aoun refused to sign the draft and sent it back to parliament for amendments. Clients are reminded: Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...