BEIRUT- Lebanon's central bank will continue to allow commercial banks to purchase an unlimited amount of U.S. dollars on its Sayrafa platform rate, a central bank statement said Thursday.

The Central Bank's intervention in the currency market that began last week has led the Lebanese pound to apreciate in value to around 23,000 pounds per dollar, up from a low of 34,000 earlier this month.

The policy, agreed upon in a meeting between Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Finance Minister Youssef Khalil and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on Jan. 11, has been criticised as unsustainable for using limited U.S. dollar reserves to prop up the exchange rate.

(Reporting by Timour Azhari; Editing by Alison Williams) ((Timour.Azhari@thomsonreuters.com @timourazhari; +96170191137;))