According to ABL statistics, the value of cleared checks fell by 27.31% on an annual basis to reach LBP 20,847 billion (distributed over 1,256,080 checks) in the first four months of 2021, in comparison with LBP 28,680 billion (allocated over 2,196,076 checks) during that same period last year. Of the total value of cleared checks, 57.56% was denominated in foreign currency, versus 65.08% a year before. Concurrently, the value of returned checks fell by LBP 377 billion (58.00%) y-o-y to LBP 273 billion YTD April 2021, with the number of returned checks plunging by 82.71% to 11,151. Said anemic check clearing figures come in the light of the strict lockdown imposed between January 14 & February 8.

As a result, the number of returned checks expressed as a percentage of the total number of cleared checks dropped to 0.89% by end of April 2021, down from 2.94% a year earlier. Concurrently, the value of returned checks calculated, as a percentage of the total cleared checks value fell to 1.31%, down from 2.27% during the first four months of 2020.