Starting from May: HoR members will cut their salaries by 20%
Today, the House of Representatives (HoR) decided to scale back the salaries of its members by 20% starting from May, considering the hard situation Libya is facing at the moment.
Author: LS
IMF sees $50 billion in current demand for new short-term liquidity line
Current demand for the IMF’s new short-term liquidity line could reach $50 billion from several countries, IMF officials said Today, saying the facility could help countries address liquidity needs before they morphed into bigger problems.
The International Monetary Fund is in talks with several unnamed countries about using the facility, the official said, but declined to name them.
The new instrument was approved by the IMF’s executive board last week to help some of its members deal with widespread liquidity issues caused by the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, which has triggered a deep global recession.
WHO chief : “the virus will be with us for a long time”
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that he hoped the Trump administration would reconsider its suspension of funding, but that his main focus was on ending the pandemic and saving lives.
There were “worrying upward trends” in early epidemics in parts of Africa and central and South America, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“Most countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics and some that were affected early in the pandemic are starting to see a resurgence in cases,” Tedros told Geneva journalists in a virtual briefing.
“Make no mistake we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time,” he said, while noting that epidemics in Western Europe appear to be stabilising or declining.
Libya’s General Authority for Social Solidarity Fund provides food aid
Our reporter said that Libya’s General Authority for Social Solidarity Fund is providing food assistance and distributing covers to truck drivers who have been quarantined at the customs headquarters of Ras Ijdir.
He also noted that the number of drivers along with their accompanying persons is 270, adding that they will be quarantined for two weeks.
Tunisia and Libya agree on mechanisms allowing exports amid Covid-19
Tunisia and Libya have agreed on a mechanism, allowing export trucks to cross through the border between the two countries in line with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) measures.
This came in a phone call between Foreign Minister Mohammed Sayala of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord in Libya, and his Tunisian counterpart Nureddin Er-Ray.
For food and other exports through Ras Ajdir border gate, both parties decided on new regulations while taking COVID-19 measures into consideration, said a statement by Libya’s Foreign Ministry.
Under the new mechanism, “truck drivers will wait on both sides of the border, products and trucks will be handed over to the other drivers once they cross the border.”
Also, Libyans who are currently in southern Tunis will be quarantined in Zarzis city, the ministers decided.
NOC receives more supplies for doctors and nurses
The Sustainable Development Department of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) received on Wednesday April 22, 2020, a shipment of medical cargo that was supplied by the French company Total, to contribute to the fight against coronavirus (Covid-19).
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals will soon receive thousands of new medical items and new protective clothing to help them deal with the pandemic.
The medical and personal protection items included: masks, oxygen prongs, protective gowns, disinfectant sprayers, thermometers, gloves and other medical supplies. These will be delivered to municipalities in the near future.
Mr Mokhtar Abdedayem, manager of NOC’s Sustainable Development Department, said: “We continue to provide essential medical materials to the areas adjacent to our operations. We delivered a convoy of medical goods to the southern region last week and we will deliver more medical supplies to other regions soon. I am confident these goods will protect the lives of thousands of Libyans.”
Bumtari: “corruption will grow in Libya as long as the black market remains active”
During yesterday’s TV interview for the Libyan WTV channel, Finance Minister Faraj Bumtari claimed that Tripoli Central Bank (CBL) opposed his government’s economic reform policies and did not control foreign currency in the market.
Bumtari also stressed that corruption will grow in Libya when there is an active black market, pointing out that the rise in the dollar against the dinar indicates that there is a problem with liquidity, and a lack of foreign exchange control by the CBL, emphasizing the need for the CBL to control the flow of the dollar (in the black-market) and not in a random way.
The dollar is not a food commodity, and we must coordinate together by reference to the banking law, the policy of the government seeks to get rid of the smuggling and laundering of money, and to remedy inflation, which requires adjustment of the exchange rate, but the CBL did not respond to us, and there was a problem in opening direct remittances to small traders, which damaged the Ministry of Finance and reduced its revenues.”
The implication is that the CBL is either encouraging or turning a blind eye to the hard currency black-market which is causing hardship to consumers through inflated prices and a reduction in spending power and standards of living. There is a common perception in Libya that the black-market traders are in bed with CBL / commercial bank staff.
He pointed out that in 2019, US$10 billion was available to Libyan citizens on the black-market, adding: “This was an opportunity for corruption, because it is money without monetary control, which confirms the spread of corruption.”
He also noted that neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Tunisia do not have this amount of financial corruption because there is “strict” financial control over cash, which reduces the rates of corruption, “the situation in Libya is different, and those who get money illegally can move it to another country.”
Bumtari also mentioned that the Libyan economy has been suffering since the February 2011 revolution, especially with the decline of Libya’s oil production capacity, and low international oil prices. ‘‘This required reform of monetary policy and adjustment of the exchange rate and solving the liquidity problem, but the CBL opposed the changing the Libyan dinar’s exchange rate, and there was an unjustified fear of this move by the CBL.”
The situation at Ras Ijdir border remains difficult
The head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Libya, Federico Soda stated that the situation at the Tunisia/Libya border remains difficult for a lot of people.
Soda the Libyan Red Crescent teams are providing assistance onsite, to at least 1,000 new arrivals today. Many of them have been stranded there for days. Hoping for a quick and safe solution
It will be reminded that on Tuesday, Soda posted on his Twitter account a video from the border showing hundreds of them carrying their personal belongings and marching towards the border due to the coronavirus lockdown have crossed back to their country.
OCHA documents 23 attacks on health facilities in Libya
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Libya has documented 23 attacks on health facilities in Libya in one year, 9 of these attacks occurred in the last four months.
According to a Tweet posted by OCHA, it referred to the targeting of two hospitals; one in Ain Zara district and the other located in Trek al Shok area, all of which in Tripoli.
OCHA also added that attacks on health facilities since April 2019 have killed 80 people and injured 61 others.
The Foreign Minister discusses the reduction of Libya’s political and diplomatic representation abroad
During his meeting with the Foreign Minister Mohamed Sayala, the member of the House of Representatives (HoR) for the city of Benghazi Jalal Al-Shuwihdi discussed the case of stranded Libyans as well as the measures taken in order to guarantee their return, in accordance with the plan approved by the crisis committee.
Jalal Al-Shuwihdi stressed that the plan has already been implemented in some countries such as Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, adding that work is ongoing in this regard to include other countries.
The meeting also dealt with the amendment of Act No. 2 of 2001 concerning the arrangement the Diplomatic and Consular Corps. For instance, the Foreign Minister Mohamed Sayala announced the preparation of a draft amendment to the Act (No. 2 of 2001).
In this regard, it was agreed to form a joint committee in order to review the Act as a prelude to submit it to the House of Representatives for endorsement.
The meeting also addressed the reduction of the political and diplomatic representation of employees in the Libyan embassies and consulates ” that are useless to keep”,