BEIRUT  - S&P Global has told Lebanon's central bank governor and finance minister it will allow a six-month grace period before deciding whether or not to downgrade the country's sovereign credit rating, Lebanese daily al-Akhbar said on Thursday without citing sources.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted as saying on Wednesday he had a "positive" feeling over a rating report due this week though he had no information about it.

Reuters could not immediately reach Lebanese officials for comment on the report on Thursday.

Lebanon is saddled with one of the world's heaviest public debt burdens, at 150% of GDP, and blighted by years of low economic growth. The government now seeks to put public finances on a sustainable path by launching reforms it has long put off.

But markets have been pricing in the risk of a sovereign credit rating downgrade in recent days.

The S&P review of Lebanon is due to come out on Friday. Fitch Ratings is also expected to release a report this week, though it has not said when. An S&P spokeswoman said on Wednesday it does not comment on future ratings actions.

"In a phone call, Standard & Poor's officials notified Lebanon's Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil that the agency has decided to give Lebanon the grace period requested," al-Akhbar said without citing sources. It said S&P would re-evalute the rating after six months.

Berri also told some MPs on Wednesday that Lebanon may get "an extra opportunity for the sake of correcting the path" due to positive indications - an apparent reference to factors including cabinet resuming its sessions after a political row.

Dollar-denominated bonds issued by Lebanon's government dropped to new lows earlier this week on concerns about the risk of a downgrade by S&P Global.

At the start of March, mounting worries about Lebanon's finances saw S&P put the country's B- rating, already a non-investment grade rating, on a negative outlook. Moody's downgraded Lebanon's rating to Caa1 in January.

Goldman Sachs, in an Aug. 16 week ahead note, said "the steady deterioration in Lebanon's FX liquidity position indicates a likely downgrade to CCC (by S&P), which would bring the ratings in line with those of Moody's".

(Reporting by Ellen Francis Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) ((Ellen.Francis@thomsonreuters.com;))