Economic and banking expert Nasseeb Ghbriel confirmed that the demarcation will not have material results for five years, noting that actual results will begin with the extraction of gas. In an interview with "Voice of Lebanon," he stated, "So far we need to start drilling to know the quantity of gas and the ease or difficulty of extraction and at what extraction cost." Ghbriel considered that "the Central Bank's circular is a decision aimed at stabilizing the dollar exchange rate in the parallel market, and this is not the first decision of its kind since the onset of the crisis in the country," explaining that "this circular is temporary pending the necessary reforms that will restore confidence and inject capital into Lebanon."
Ghbriel pointed out that "the reform process with the International Monetary Fund is very slow, especially as we enter a phase of presidential vacancy and governmental paralysis." He clarified that "due to consecutive crises such as global economic slowdown, oil price crisis, and the war in Ukraine, the IMF has other priorities," and thus he believes that "if the authorities do not implement any tangible reforms from now until next April, this could lead to halting work on the agreement with the Fund, resulting in Lebanon being sidelined from the global financial and banking system."
