The entrance of BDL on Jan. 8, 2026. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros/L'Orient Today)
The circular published last November to strengthen oversight of transactions carried out by non-bank financial institutions turned out to be just the beginning. On Monday, Banque du Liban (BDL, central bank) issued a new circular (No. 1) that thoroughly modernizes the regulations applied to electronic payment service providers — namely, wallet operators — as well as money transfer companies.The new text, spanning about fifty pages including appendices, is already available on BDL's website. It “establishes a clear legal and regulatory framework” that “strengthens compliance...and ensures the protection of users’ rights,” BDL said in a statement issued at the same time as the decision. It adds that the new regulations “were drafted based on best practices...while taking into account the specific characteristics of the Lebanese...
The circular published last November to strengthen oversight of transactions carried out by non-bank financial institutions turned out to be just the beginning. On Monday, Banque du Liban (BDL, central bank) issued a new circular (No. 1) that thoroughly modernizes the regulations applied to electronic payment service providers — namely, wallet operators — as well as money transfer companies.The new text, spanning about fifty pages including appendices, is already available on BDL's website. It “establishes a clear legal and regulatory framework” that “strengthens compliance...and ensures the protection of users’ rights,” BDL said in a statement issued at the same time as the decision. It adds that the new regulations “were drafted based on best practices...while taking into account the specific characteristics of the...
