'You have no one running the country', Lebanon's central bank governor says

Riad Salameh pushes back against government accusations that he acted alone in declaring an end to fuel subsidies

The Banque du Liban building in Beirut, Lebanon. Governor Riad Salameh has pressed back against government accusations that he acted alone in declaring an end to fuel subsidies on Wednesday. AP

Lebanon's central bank governor said nobody was running the country, as he defended his decision to halt fuel subsidies that have drained currency reserves, saying the government could resolve the problem by passing necessary legislation.

In an interview broadcast on Saturday, Banque du Liban governor Riad Salameh pressed back against government accusations that he had acted alone in declaring an end to the subsidies on Wednesday, saying everyone knew the decision was coming.

The move is the latest turn in a crippling financial crisis that has sunk the Lebanese pound by 90 per cent in less than two years and pushed more than half the population into poverty.

Lebanon could recover but it was not possible to say how many years that would take, Mr Salameh said. “So far, you have nobody running the country,” he said in the interview with Radio Free Lebanon.

The Lebanese pound was “hostage to the formation of a new government and reforms”, he said.

Lebanon's sectarian politicians have failed to agree on a new government since Hassan Diab quit as prime minister last August, after the catastrophic Beirut port blast that killed more than 200 people, injured thousands and devastated the capital.

He has continued in a caretaker capacity since then.

The central bank announced on Wednesday it would provide credit lines for fuel imports at market rather than subsidised exchange rates, paving the way for a sharp increase in fuel prices, which the government has said must not change.

Fuel importers have demanded clarity, saying they cannot import at market rates and sell at subsidised rates, which are a fraction of the currency's real price.

The fuel crisis has hit a crunch point, with hospitals, bakeries and many businesses scaling back operations or shutting down completely.

The central bank has said it cannot use mandatory foreign currency reserves, a portion of deposits set to one side by law, without legislation.

Mr Salameh said such reserves had reached $14 billion.

Critics of the fuel subsidy scheme say it has created huge incentives for smuggling and hoarding by selling petroleum products at a fraction of their real price.

Mr Salameh said that more than $800 million spent on fuel imports in the past month should have lasted three months, blaming traders and saying it was “unreasonable” that so much had been spent with no product available in the market.