A chat with Riad Salameh

This year has been shaping up to be even more bumpy than the last for Lebanon, riddled with domestic unrest, an ongoing conflict in neighboring Syria and global economic uncertainties. The banking sector, accustomed to dealing with turbulent events, has to grapple yet again with grueling headwinds. For more clarity on the events shaping the sector, Executive sat down for a chat with Riad Salameh, the governor of Banque du Liban (BDL), Lebanon’s central bank.   The growth rate of profits in the banking sector dropped significantly in 2011 and continues to drop this year, as reported in the first quarter. What is your interpretation on the recent performance of the sector? We don’t consider the growth of profits in the banking sector as an indicator for the healthy situation of the sector. We want the banks to make profits and distribute dividends but we don’t want banks to operate