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Author: LS

U.N. sets dates for Libyan transitional government selection

The United Nations Libya mission said on Thursday that nominations for leadership of a new unified transitional government must be made within a week and voting on candidates would take place in early February.

Libya has been divided since 2014 between rival administrations in the capital Tripoli, in the west, and in the country’s east.

Manoeuvring over the new government has raised fears that powerful figures who stand to lose influence could attempt to sabotage the process.

The UN in November gathered 75 Libyan participants in a political dialogue in Tunis aimed at setting a roadmap to national elections that they set for late December.

After weeks of wrangling, the dialogue members this week agreed on rules for selecting a new three-member presidential council and a prime minister to oversee the run-up to the election.

Buyers reject several Libyan crude cargoes due to high mercury content

Buyers have canceled several Libyan Amna, Abu Attifel and Zueitina crude oil purchases after high mercury levels were detected in the cargoes, sources close to the matter said Jan. 21.

According to S&P Global Platts, the sources said that the issue had so far only impacted the three grades of Amna, Abu Attifel and Zueitina.

State-owned National Oil Corporation has reoffered some of the January-loading cargoes through an official tender, the sources added.

“Some Amna crude cargos, which load from Ras Lanuf are now being tested in Tripoli to make sure there is no mercury contamination,” one source close to the matter said.

Representatives at NOC were not immediately available for comment on the matter, despite several attempts.

One source said that the aging oil infrastructure in Libya could have caused the rise in mercury levels. Mercury from crude oil can also accumulate in processing equipment and in oil storage tanks, when it is not maintained well.

Libya Recovers UN Voting Right

Libya recovered its right to vote at the United Nations General Assembly after paying off part of its debts to the organization, a UN official said Wednesday.

Libya along with Niger and Zimbabwe “have all paid” part of their debt, after their right to vote was suspended last week, deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq told AFP.

“They paid enough that they can vote in the General Assembly,” he said, without indicating the amount of the payments.

To regain their right to vote without paying off their total debt, Libya, Niger and Zimbabwe had to pay the UN respectively $705,391, $6,733 and $81,770.

UN calls for rescue operations after 43 immigrants drown off Libyan coast

Following another deadly shipwreck off the coast of Libya that claimed 43 lives on Monday, the UN migration and refugee agencies have called for countries to re-activate search and rescue operations.

In a joint statement released on Wednesday by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the two agencies expressed their sadness at the tragic event, the first of 2021 in the Central Mediterranean.

The boat reportedly capsized due to bad sea conditions when its engine stopped, just a few hours after embarking from the Libyan city of Zawra early on Tuesday morning.

The 10 survivors, mainly from Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, and The Gambia, reported that those who perished were all men of West African origin.

CBL: Libyan energy revenue dropped 92% in 2020

Libya’s oil and gas revenue dropped by 92% last year, the central bank said on Wednesday, after most exports were stopped by a months-long blockade by fighters in the civil war.

The Central Bank of Libya (CBL), based in the capital Tripoli, said revenue in 2020 was 2.9 billion dinars ($652 million), down from 31.4 billion dinars in 2019.

Oil output and exports fall under the National Oil Corporation (NOC), which is also based in Tripoli, but which disputes CBL revenue figures.

Water projects to be implemented in Libyan municipalities

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) signed on Tuesday a contract to implement two projects for constructing water harvesting tanks in the municipalities of Rajban and Jado.

In a statement, the NOC said the projects will be funded by the Spanish integrated energy group “Repsol” and will be implemented in coordination with the “Acacus” oil operations company.

“A 1,000 capacity water reservoir will be installed in the “Mutalloui” field in Jado, while two others are to be established in Rajban with a storage capacity of 250 cubic meters each,” the NOC addded, while expressing its commitment to seek solutions to the problem of the lack of water supplies in Jadu and Rajban municipalities which have been ongoing for years.

GNA’s Education Ministry postpones school return

After consultation and coordination with the Scientific Advisory Committee to Combat the Coronavirus Pandemic,  the Education Ministry of the Government of National Accord (GNA) announced Wednesday the suspension of classes for all grades and stages of study from next Saturday, adding that it decided to postpone school return to February 6.

According to the ministry, the decision does not apply to the preparatory certificate examinations, as they are still continuing according to their specified dates without change.

Libya: Ministry of Economy to start defining a trade policy

Sada Economic Newspaper has gotten an exclusive copy of the letter sent by the Deputy Minister of the Economy, Rajab Khalil, to the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) concerning the regulations after implementing the unified exchange rate.

The letter emphasized that the Ministry of Economy will start defining a trade policy, as well as following up and developing it, especially after implementing the unified exchange rate.

The letter also stressed that the Ministry of Economy will stand ready to respond to economic entities’ requests with regard to the external transfers via various payment methods approved by the Central Bank of Libya (CBL).

Nevertheless, the letter pointed out that the ministry should work on developing a policy that ensures the pricing and the control of goods regularly.

It is also worth mentioning that the CBL confirmed that the new rate will be applied to all governmental, commercial, and personal purposes, provided that foreign exchange is sold for personal purposes by banks to adult citizens. The maximum transfer amount per person is $20,000.

In the case of studies abroad, the maximum allowed amount transferred will be $10,000. An invoice for the study costs issued by the educational institution is required and needs to be approved by the Libyan embassy. The transfer must be made directly to the educational institution’s account.

With regard to medical treatment abroad, the maximum transfer amount is $20,000 and it is required to submit an invoice for treatment costs within a period not exceeding 3 months from the issuance of the treatment documents. The transfer must be made directly from the patient’s own account or one of his first-degree relatives to the account of the hospital or treatment centre.