	official wants arab fund to help lebanese pound lebanese central bank vice governor meguerditch bouldikian called for the establishment of an arab fund to assist the lebanese pound which has lost more than pct of its value against the dollar since january bouldikian told an arab exchange dealers conference the bank would continue to take measures to defend the currency but he said lebanon needed foreign support for its war battered economy now more than ever before we expect a common effort between the central bank and arab central banks and monetary authorities to create an arab fund to support and preserve the value of the currency when needed he said twelve years of civil war have devastated productive sectors of the lebanese economy and created gaping trade and budget deficits bouldikian said recent government measures had succeeded in reducing demand for imports and increasing exports these are encouraging factors but the war has not ended yet he said we believe that with a just political solution acceptable to all sides confidence will return and this will benefit the lebanese pound and lebanon in the meantime he said the central bank had four main goals to use surplus liquidity to finance the budget deficit to increase the role of commercial banks and non bank financing institutions in financing the deficit to limit the transfer of lebanese pounds into foreign currency deposits to protect the financial health of commercial banks reuter 
