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A meeting on the release of Libya’s Emergency Budget

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Today, the Finance Minister Faraj Boumtari held a meeting in Tripoli with a number of mayors from Southern municipalities.

During the meeting, mayors negotiated the issue of the CBL’s suspension of salaries. They also highlighted the billion dinars allocated for the development of the south, according to the Presidency Council’s resolution of 2019.

In a statement, Boumtari confirmed that Libya’s Ministry of Finance will give priority to release the allocations of Southern municipalities, in addition to providing the necessary support in order to alleviate the suffering of all municipalities in the region.

Within the framework of strengthening local governance and decentralization, participants discussed – in detail- the draft regulation of local revenues, as well as the collection and expenditure mechanisms.

Moreover, the participants negotiated the sums allocated to municipalities by the Presidency Council for confronting the Coronavirus epidemic as they have not received anything yet.

“The ministry is engaged in releasing the allocations of the region’s municipalities,” stressed Boumtari.

Britain: Covid-19 infections among Libyans leap

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The number of Coronavirus infections among the Libyan citizens living in Britain rose to 42, including eight critical cases, according to a statement published by the Libyan Embassy in London, and Tripoli based Ministry of Health 

The ministry clarified that the confirmed cases rose after three new cases were reported among children, two cases among women, as well as two others among men.

Recovered coronavirus patients testing positive again

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South Korean officials on Friday reported 91 patients thought cleared of the new coronavirus had tested positive again.

Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), told a briefing that the virus may have been “reactivated” rather than the patients being re-infected.

South Korean health officials said it remains unclear what is behind the trend, with epidemiological investigations still under way.

The prospect of people being re-infected with the virus is of international concern, as many countries are hoping that infected populations will develop sufficient immunity to prevent a resurgence of the pandemic.

Mayors from Southern Libya discuss public health cooperation with NOC

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The Chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) Mustafa Sanalla met with fourteen mayors from Southern municipalities, to discuss their needs in terms of medical equipment to fight coronavirus and COVID-19.  

The Sustainable Development Department of NOC is coordinating with the relevant security authorities to send a convoy of medical equipment south in the coming days. The medical equipment will be distributed to various municipalities as NOC continues to work with its international partners to provide more medical supplies. 

In a statement published on Facebook, Mustafa Sanalla claimed that they will do everything in their power to help local communities in areas adjacent to NOC operations deal with this virus.

“We are working with our partners and local communities to understand what is needed and how we can best help. We started with the Southern regions as we understand it is the area most in need. I wish NOC had bigger budgets for this project, but the blockade means we are severely limited. To support public health we have so far spent above $1 million USD on medical equipment for the whole of Libya. If the blockade was lifted I think we would be able to spend much more,” Sanalla added.

Mr Aliten Al-Salhab, acting member of the Obari municipal council commented: “We extend our sincere thanks to the National Oil Corporation and we appreciate their efforts to support the south of Libya.”  

The meeting was attended by Mr Mukhtar Abdedayem, Head of NOC Sustainable Development Department, Mr Abdul Hamid Al-Shtiwi, member of the General Secretariat of the Local Council, Mr Abdul Sattar Al-Senussi, Mayor of Al-Ghuraifa Municipality, Mr Abdul Rahman Mohammed, Mayor of Wadi Etba Municipality, and Mr Al-Jilani Ali, Mayor of the Municipality Brak Al-Shati, Mr Ashraf Khalifa, Mayor of Bint Bayah Municipality, Mr Ibrahim Al-Ghoul, Mayor of Edri Al-Shati Municipality, Mr Majdi Abu Khuzam, Mayor of Al-Qardhah Al-Shati Municipality, Mr Ali Okasha, Mayor of Wadi Al-Bawanis Municipality,  Mr Aliten Al-Salhab acting member of the Obari municipal council, Mr Ali Al-Taher, Mayor of Murzuq Municipality, Mr Mustafa Abdul Rahman, Mayor of Muradah Municipality, Mr. Hussein Shakky, Mayor of Rebyana Municipality, Mr Qumani Mohammad, Mayor of Ghat Municipality, Mr Abdul Sattar Musa, Mayor of Al-Ghuraifa Municipality and Mr. Saeed Ghrighno, acting Mayor of Al-Jufra Municipality. 

IOM: Migrant ship intercepted at sea is barred from disembarking in Libya

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Shelling in Tripoli has stopped 280 migrants, whose boat was intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, from disembarking and they will have to spend the night aboard a coastguard ship, the United Nations migration agency said on Thursday.

“The situation is tragic. Hundreds of people, drained after a perilous 72-hour journey. They will spend the night on an overcrowded boat in tense circumstances,” said Federico Soda, head of the International Organisation for Migration’s Libya mission, in a statement.

It was not immediately which countries the migrants were from but Libya is a major way station for migrants attempting to travel from Africa to Europe.

At least six boats have left Libya this month carrying about 500 people attempting the sea-crossing to Europe, though Italy has declared its ports unsafe due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Officials in Tripoli said the intensity of shelling on Thursday, some of which had previously targeted the port, meant it was not safe for disembarkation, IOM said.

The IOM is providing them with water and food, it said. A curfew in Tripoli to help stop the spread of the coronavirus is also complicating efforts to bring them off the ship, it added.

New Coronavirus cases announced in Libya

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Libya announced 3 new cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19), bringing the total cases in the country to 24.

The country’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said that it had received a total of 13 samples to check and they all turned out to be negative, while Alkwyvih Hospital Respiratory received 106 samples to check and 103 samples turned out to be negative.

Britain: 35 Libyans tested positive for Coronavirus

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The Libyan Embassy in London declared that the number of Coronavirus infection among the Libyan citizens in Britain rose to 35 after recording 4 new cases for two children, a woman and a man.

Yesterday, the Embassy claimed that 31 Libyans have tested positive for Coronavirus, among which 11 children, 8 women, and 12 men. It also claimed the death of two cases who were over 60 years old, and suffering from chronic diseases.

Libya: New seven Coronavirus cases recovered

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Libya’s National Centre for Disease Control announced yesterday the recovery of the second coronavirus patient, confirming in a statement that the lab tests and analyses had come out negative.

It also added that 19 samples received yesterday had tested negative and no new cases were registered.

The Centre confirmed the recovery of 6 other cases from the Covid-19 raising the country’s total recoveries to 8.

Bashagha and Boumtari discuss the ministries’ financial issues

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 GNA Minister of Interior, Fathi Bashagha, held a meeting today with the Finance Minister, Faraj Boumtari.

According to Libya’s Tripoli-based Ministry of Interior, the meeting discussed a number of financial issues that concern the two ministries, in addition to the effect of Coronavirus crisis on the country.

During the meeting, both ministers expressed their readiness to solve all problems and obstacles facing the daily life of citizens especially in these difficult circumstances the country is experiencing.

Gold gains 1% on safe-haven demand

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 Gold prices climbed 1% today on safe-haven buying ahead of a long weekend and a crucial meeting of top oil producers amid generally more positive markets driven by hopes the coronavirus pandemic is close to peaking.

Spot gold was up 0.9% at $1,660.38 per ounce by 12:05 GMT, having hit a four-week high of $1,671.40 on Tuesday. It has risen more than 2.6% this week. Most markets will be closed for Good Friday on April 10.

U.S. gold futures rose 1.3% to $1,706.50.

Gold has, on occasion, risen in tandem with equity markets recently, with wider market selloffs also seeping into precious metals as investors covered losses elsewhere.