BEIRUT – Firms are closing and eating places are half empty however within the gloom of Lebanon’s worst financial disaster in a long time, luxurious jewellers, supercar dealerships and artwork galleries are doing brisk enterprise.
Fearful that their life financial savings may vanish with a collapse of the banking sector, some Lebanese are siphoning money from their accounts and shopping for the costliest items they’ll get their fingers on.
Banks have slapped restrictions on withdrawals and abroad transfers, main some depositors to make use of cashier’s checks to spend financial savings they worry would in any other case be depleted by a haircut or a devaluation.
“Our gross sales have trebled since November,” mentioned Karl Kenaan, a Beirut-based actual property dealer. “There’s an enormous demand.”
Firms encouraging Lebanese to dump their financial savings by investing in property have launched promoting campaigns on billboards and on social media.
“Folks wish to diversify their investments as a precaution in opposition to the risk that hovers above the banking sector and the nationwide forex,” Kenaan mentioned.
Many select to purchase flats and homes outdoors of Lebanon for worry the property market may collapse, too. “Safe your financial savings with a property funding in Greece you possibly can pay for in Lebanon,” reads a Fb advert for an actual property company.
The Lebanese pound has been formally pegged to the greenback since 1997 however has misplaced one-third of its worth on the parallel market just lately. With the prospect that Lebanon may restructure or default on its debt after years of financial mismanagement and corruption, many Lebanese worry that an official devaluation of the pound will slash their financial savings.
The lack of confidence in a banking sector that was as soon as a supply of nationwide satisfaction is such that deposits in Lebanon slumped $12 billion over the primary 11 months of 2019.
For years, deposits had been fuelled by the inflow of cash from Lebanon’s huge diaspora and Gulf residents who have been attracted by high-interest charges. These charges, nonetheless, have decreased considerably, additional dissuading depositors overseas and at residence from placing their cash within the financial institution.
Regardless of controls imposed by banks to stop capital flight, Lebanese depositors can request cashier’s cheques and they’re utilizing them to purchase items they really feel is not going to depreciate or may be simply resold overseas.
“An increasing number of shoppers are shopping for gold cash, chains, bracelets and necklaces, just for their financial worth,” mentioned a jeweller whose enterprise has 14 branches nationwide.
One automobile vendor who additionally requested to not be recognized mentioned Lamborghinis and Bentleys typically fetching $400,000 have been nonetheless in demand “whilst auto gross sales are typically plummeting.”
“Positive, these automobiles progressively lose a few of their worth however, for a lot of patrons, it is a case of attempting to not lose the whole lot,” he mentioned.
Artworks, a standard protected funding in instances of disaster, are being snapped up in Beirut’s edgy galleries. “Recently, I’ve had visits from folks I’ve by no means seen earlier than in my gallery,” one proprietor mentioned. “They principally wish to see the most important work, purchase the costliest items.”
Those that are not sure what to spend their cash on have a tendency to drag as a lot money as doable from the financial institution and hold it at residence. Banking authorities mentioned $three billion has been withdrawn from banks and hoarded at residence since September, triggering a rush on safes.
“Our gross sales have gone up 50%,” mentioned Khalil Chehab, a retailer who specialises in safes and lock containers. “Banks was once our foremost shoppers earlier than the disaster broke out, now it is their prospects who’re coming to us.”
He mentioned some patrons have been able to spend as much as $20,000 on high-end safes.
“Individuals are not searching for any form of revenue. They only wish to save their cash, at any value,” he mentioned.
(AFP)
