BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon's total public debt rose to the equivalent of $33.9 billion by the end of February from $32.9 billion a month earlier, the central bank said in its monthly bulletin.

Banque du Liban said the public debt was 51.199 trillion Lebanese pounds at the end of February compared with 49.602 trillion at the end of January.

External public debt comprised $18.99 billion of the total. The Lebanese pound component was 22.571 trillion.

Lebanon's public debt is among the heftiest in the world at around 184 percent of gross domestic product, most of it accumulated during the country's 1975-1990 civil war. It consumes most government revenue.

Lebanon records $777.4mln BOP deficit by end-Feb

Lebanon recorded a $777.4 million balance of payments deficit in the first two months of 2005, the central bank said in its monthly bulletin, compared with a surplus of $203 million in the same period last year.

It recorded a $784.6 million deficit for the month of February alone. Banque du Liban said the deficit reflected a drop in its net foreign assets but an increase in those of banks and financial institutions.

Lebanon recorded a balance of payments surplus of $168.5 million last year, $3.38 billion in 2003 and $1.56 billion in 2002.

Those surpluses were due in part to inflows spurred by an international aid summit in 2002, which yielded about $4 billion in soft loans to ease servicing on the public debt.

Public finance reforms have since lagged because of a series of political crises, eroding confidence in the economy and the ability of the government to arrest the growth of its public debt. (Agencies)

($1=1,507.5 Lebanese pounds)