Wassim Ahmad Manssouri (also spelled Mansouri) (Arabic: وسيم أحمد منصوري; born November 21, 1971) is a Lebanese lawyer who is the Acting Governor of the Banque du Liban.
[13] Manssouri has been a member of the National Committee of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague (2012–2018),[14] a legal consultant of the Minister of Finance, representing the Minister in the annual and spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group as well as in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) meetings (2014–2020),[13] a consultant of the Human Rights Commission at the Lebanese Parliament (2013–2020)[15] and a Board member of the Tripoli Special Economic Zone[16] (April 2015, 2020).
[22][23][24][25] Salameh has been accused of corruption, money laundering and running the largest Ponzi scheme in history; he was additionally labeled "the world’s worst central banker".
[34] Dr. Manssouri emphasizes the need for government reforms and legislative solutions to address the financial crisis and has called for rebuilding trust with depositors to revive the banking sector.
[35][36] Manssouri has expressed a commitment to reforming governance and accounting processes at the Central Bank while ensuring that the institution fulfills its genuine role of maintaining monetary stability.
He has highlighted the necessity of clear and robust laws to address the banking sector's challenges and has been involved in meetings with international bodies like the IMF and regional stakeholders to discuss Lebanon's economic situation.
The year 2024 saw the establishment of a single exchange rate under Circular 167, on the basis of which banks' budgets were conducted, the valuation of their real estate, overcoming the issues facing auditors, and regulating the sector in line with international standards, in full readiness to implement the restructuring law when it is approved.
These policies, according to the same source, have succeeded in a firm management of liquidity, protecting the monetary stability, insulting it from the pressures of the war, and strengthening the foreign currencies reserves, despite the sharp decline in tourism sector inflows.
[47] BDL made exceptional amendments in circulars to increase payments to depositors (triple and then double the monthly value), kept salaries paid to employees in dollars, and eased pressure on the Lira.