Toward a national strategy

Financial literacy is a hot global policy potato that emerged as the flavor of the month for October 2016, according to the taste buds of the Organization for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD) and a publication by the Association of Banks (ABL) in Lebanon. “Financial literacy, financial capability and consumer protection have been in focus for the past few years in most countries around the world,” the ABL said in a recent brochure. While the claim to this topic being hot in “most countries” is a bit daring (there are over 180 member countries in the United Nations), Lebanon is one of over 60 countries around the world that is currently developing or implementing a national strategy for financial education, according to the OECD. The intent to forge such an initiative under participation of different stakeholders in economics, finance and education was evidenced by ABL’s publication, which was exactly titled