Lebanon's debt at $54 billion in first quarter

Public debt grows by half a billion dollars in three months

Lebanon's gross public debt ended the first quarter of the year at $54.1 billion, up from $53.6 billion at end-2011.

Lira denominated debt reached $33.5 billion, almost 62 percent of the gross public debt.

The Central Bank’s share of public debt grew to 35.7 percent, up from 33 percent at end- 2011. Commercial banks' share of the debt contracted to 48.8 percent from 51 percent three months earlier.

Reported by Hanadi Chami