IMF-Lebanon negotiations will likely produce a draft agreement conditional on financing assurances from creditors, but division in Lebanon's National Assembly will likely stall key economic reforms, preventing major disbursements and hampering reconstruction efforts. A delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducted a "fact-finding" mission in Lebanon between March 10 and 14, meeting with Lebanese officials to discuss the country's economic outlook. The mission followed a Feb. 17 policy statement from Lebanon's Cabinet saying the new government would work with the IMF to reach a new loan program and improve Lebanon's economic situation. The Cabinet's statement also acknowledged that an IMF program would require Lebanon to restructure its banking sector -- a key demand from international lenders due to the sector's corruption and lack of transparency. Then, on Feb. 21, an EU official visiting Lebanon said the disbursement of a 500 million euro ($546 million) tranche of funding, part of...
