Banks’ combined balance sheet up by 2.94 %

The consolidated balance sheet of commercial banks registered a 2.94 percent rise since the beginningof the year to reach $144.71 billion in April, recording an 8.15 percent year-on-year rise. Total claims on the private sector, which account for 28.79 percent of total assets, advanced 13.19 percent year-on-year to $41.67 billion, mostly due to a 22.05 percent climb in claims in Lebanese pounds, and a 10.98 percent jump in claims in foreign currencies. Claims on the public sector rose 2.17 percent to $29 billion with Treasury Bills in Lebanese pounds falling by 3.4 percent to $15.95 billion. On the liabilities side, total resident and non-resident private sector deposits, representing 82.07 percent of total liabilities, added 2.63 percent to $118.76 billion from December 2011, and 8.03 percent from April 2011.  From TheDailyStar