Lebanon’s PM Says IMF Talks Progressing Well

FILE PHOTO: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during an interview with Reuters at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon October 14, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
FILE PHOTO: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during an interview with Reuters at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon October 14, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Lebanon’s PM Says IMF Talks Progressing Well

FILE PHOTO: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during an interview with Reuters at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon October 14, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
FILE PHOTO: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati speaks during an interview with Reuters at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon October 14, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday that preliminary talks with the International Monetary Fund were advancing well and a revised financial recovery plan would be complete by the end of November.

“For the first time we have handed over unified financial figures,” Mikati told an economy conference in Beirut. “We hope we will have a letter of intent soon.”

Talks with the IMF that aimed to secure financial support broke down last year amid disagreements over the scale of losses in the country’s financial sector that collapsed in late 2019, Reuters reported.

The central bank, private banks and a parliamentary committee representing major political parties argued that losses were much smaller than the roughly $83 billion estimated by the plan, despite the IMF viewing the figures as accurate.

Mikati said the central bank was now “cooperating fully” with Lazard, the advisor that helped draw up the previous plan, adding that the updated version would be ready this month.

Economists see an IMF program as the only way for Lebanon to unlock international aid and begin recovering from one of the world’s worst financial crises.

The economic meltdown has translated into severe shortages of basic goods including fuel and medication.

Mikati said Lebanon was seeking to increase electricity output from a current five hours per day to between 10 and 15 hours per day by the end of the year through a series of deals with Iraq, Egypt and Jordan.

Lebanon’s ailing electricity sector constitutes a main drain on state finances, costing taxpayers more than $40 billion since 1992 even though the state never provided round-the-clock power.

In addition to monthly shipments of 75,000 tonnes of crude oil from Iraq that provide about five hours a day of power, Mikati said Lebanon aimed to secure Egyptian gas to produce an additional four hours of power by the end of the year.

He said Jordan was willing to provide about two hours worth of power for a cost of 12 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), and work was underway on a long-term plan to secure 24/7 electricity.

While Mikati struck an optimistic tone, his government has not met for nearly a month due to a row over the probe into the deadly August 2020 Beirut port blast and will lose decision-making powers after elections scheduled for spring next year.

Mikati said “no-one can prevent the holding of elections,” before parliament’s mandate ends on May 21.



Gold Poised for Biggest Weekly Fall in over Five Months on Dollar Strength

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
TT

Gold Poised for Biggest Weekly Fall in over Five Months on Dollar Strength

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold prices dropped on Friday, poised for their steepest weekly decline in over five months, pressured by a stronger dollar and as markets absorbed the implications of Donald Trump's victory and its potential impact on US interest rate expectations.

Spot gold fell 0.6% to $2,690.62 per ounce as of 9:50 a.m. ET (1450 GMT), and was down 1.6% for the week.

US gold futures shed 0.3% to $2,697.90.

The dollar index gained 0.3%, on track for a weekly gain, Reuters reported

"In the last month, the story has been the uncertainty risk of the election and if there was going to be normalisation of transition, but this election appeared to be very decisive on the White House," said Alex Ebkarian, chief operating officer at Allegiance Gold.

"A lot of risk-on assets started benefiting in terms of the potential future implication of policies, so we had money go out of metals into these alternatives."

The Federal Reserve on Thursday cut interest rates by 25 basis points, but indicated a cautious approach to further cuts.

Trump's victory has fuelled questions about whether the Fed may proceed to cut rates at a slower and smaller pace, given the former president's tariff policy.

However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the election results would have no "near-term" impact on monetary policy.

The prospect of rate cuts, starting with the half basis point reduction in September, has underpinned gold's record rally this year.

Although bullion is reputed as a hedge against inflation, higher interest rates reduce non-yielding gold's appeal.

"Should markets restore the odds for a pre-Christmas Fed rate cut...that should help keep spot gold above the psychological $2700 level," Exinity Group Chief Market Analyst Han Tan said.

On the physical front, gold demand in India faltered, while Japan and Singapore saw some buying.

Spot silver fell 1.3% to $31.58 per ounce, platinum fell 1.8% to $979.15, palladium shed 2.3% to $1,001.25. All three metals were heading for weekly declines.