The answer would obviously be YES in any other time, but it's not that simple given the circumstances Lebanon is going through right now. While expats will bring in "fresh" dollars, they will also increase demands for imports and will be consuming subsidized goods, mainly gas, which will harm the economy rather than benefit it. We are already draining our reserves to subsidize gas and food and other necessities supposedly for those still getting paid…

Annahar reported yesterday that the French President is considering establishing a currency board for Lebanon in case everything falls apart. Talks about a currency board had emerged earlier this year when Steve H. Hanke, an American applied economist at Johns Hopkins University, suggested such a solution to help establish confidence and stability immediately. While some economists consider this option as not feasible given the size of Lebanon's FX reserves in relation to its monetary base,…