Bridging troubled waters

All seems relatively quiet in the Lebanese banking world, for now. Lebanon’s banks are still growing. They are still making money, too. While their profits are not swelling at the same double-digit rates as in the past, the fact that they are still in the black is welcome news given the fatigued economy and appalling regional circumstances.  And the banks are still funding the needs of the people and the government without jeopardizing their liquidity.  They are able to do so because of a still steady growth in deposits, the key health indicator for Lebanon’s banking sector. Deposits still flowing in Behind the scenes, CEOs and their senior managers are no doubt rolling up their sleeves and working day and night to overcome yet another crisis, one that has lasted longer than expected and with no end in sight. The total size of the sector stood at $159 billion as