According to ABL statistics, the value of cleared checks fell by 66.39% on an annual basis to reach LBP 3,392 billion in January 2021 (distributed over 223,116 checks), in comparison with LBP 10,091 billion (allocated over 757,824 checks) in January 2020. Of the total value of cleared checks, 64.45% was denominated in foreign currency, versus 65.93% a year before. Concurrently, the value of returned checks fell by LBP 182 billion (78.79%) y-o-y to LBP 49 billion in January 2021, with the number of returned checks plunging by 91.03% to 2,291. Said anemic check clearing figures come in the light of the strict lockdown imposed during the month of January which hampered economic activity.

As a result, the number of returned checks expressed as a percentage of the total number of cleared checks dropped to 1.03% in the first month of 2021, down from 3.37% a year earlier. Concurrently, the value of returned checks calculated, as a percentage of the total cleared checks value fell to 1.44%, down from 2.29% during the month of January 2020.