BdL total assets reach $75.81 bln in August

Total assets at Lebanon’s Central Bank (BdL) reached $75.81 billion by the end of August 2012, recording a 1.2 percent increase from July and 7.84 percent from the end of 2011, figures released by BdL showed Monday. BdL’s foreign assets (excluding gold) rose by a monthly 0.6 percent to $35.27 billion, while the value of gold reserves expanded by 2.2 percent to $15.31 billion. The international price of gold jumped to $1,690 per ounce at the end of August, from $1,614 in June. On the liabilities’ side, financial sector deposits increased by 1.54 percent month on month to $53.8 billion, while public sector deposits diminished by a monthly 5.4 percent to $5.79 billion. Finally, currency in circulation outside of BdL rose by 3.68 percent to $2.2 billion. The rise in the prices of gold in the international markets will also help increase the value of the Central Bank’s gold reserves. From DailyStar