According to Banque Du Liban (BDL) statistics, the consolidated balance sheet of financial institutions operating in Lebanon widened by 1.13% ($12.67 million) during the first month of 2023 to $1,136.52 million, up from $1,123.86 million at year-end 2022. This can be mainly attributed to the 7.48% ($20.78 million) rise in claims on the resident financial sector to $298.62 million, coupled with the 7.43% ($7.74 million) increase in the value of fixed assets to $111.91 million and the 1.25% ($0.11 million) rise in claims on the public sector to $8.98 million, altogether outweighing the 1.23% ($6.75 million) contraction in claims on customers to $540.18 million, the 9.14% drop in claims on the non-resident financial sector to $39.12 million, the 3.22% ($3.08 million) decrease in cash and deposits with Central Banks to $92.61 million and the 4.47% ($1.61 million) drop in the value of the securities portfolio to $34.38 million. It is worth noting that claims on customers and claims on the resident financial sector are the two largest asset categories on financial institutions’ balance sheet, accounting for 47.53% and 26.28% of total assets on a respective basis. On the liabilities side, liabilities to the resident financial sector soared by 20.26% ($21.33 million) to $126.63 million, with capital accounts increasing by 0.60% ($3.01 million) to $505.53 million, outweighing the 4.28% ($8.44 million) drop in customer deposits to $188.82 million and the 2.05% ($5.32 million) decrease in other liabilities to $254.14 million).