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“Oil fields and ports in Libya must be reopened”

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Libya’s House of Representatives along with the High Council of State have issued a joint statement following a meeting between the Heads of HoR and HCS, Hamouda Sayala and Khalid Al Mishri, respectively, who reviewed the latest developments on the frontlines, the HoR said on Facebook today.

The statement called for reopening oil fields and ports and resuming oil exports immediately, holding the parties responsible for the blockade accountable for all the legal and moral ramifications of the issue amid the outbreak of Coronavirus.

“The Central Bank of Libya’s boards should be united as per the regulations and laws in Libya and as per the Libyan Political Agreement. The Central Bank and Presidential Council to open letters of credit system as per the orders of Presidential Council about decreasing the fees on foreign currency transactions.” The statement reads.

It adds that the priority amid the current crisis should go to goods and medicines as well as other needed materials for disinfection and agriculture, calling on the Industry and Economy Ministries to re-prioritize the imported commodities as regards to the market needs.

The statement called on the Central Bank of Libya to provide a weekly report on the foreign currency transactions’ demand rates to the Presidential Council, HoR and the HCS.

UNSMIL renews calls for immediate cessation of hostilities and unity to combat COVID-19

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UNSMIL stated that the humanitarian situation has deteriorated to levels never previously witnessed in Libya.

Between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020, UNSMIL documented at least 685 civilian casualties (356 deaths and 329 injured). Around 149,000 people in and around Tripoli have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of the offensive and nearly 345,000 civilians remain in frontline areas with an additional 749,000 people estimated to live in areas affected by the clashes. It is estimated that around 893,000 people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The war has also had an appalling impact in terms of damage to and destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and detention facilities. Human rights violations have exponentially increased with attacks against human rights defenders and journalists, doctors, lawyers and judges, migrants and refugees, and deteriorating conditions of detention. Over the past year, UNSMIL has received increasing reports of hundreds of cases of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, extrajudicial executions by armed groups in towns and cities across Libya, conducted with total impunity.

The one-year long war had also taken a heavy toll on an already struggling economy. While rich in natural resources, Libya is now heavily indebted with over LYD 100 billion in domestically held debt, another $1 billion in credit lines for domestic fuel imports and LYD 169 billion in outstanding contractual obligations. The oil blockade imposed on 17 January has already resulted in financial losses exceeding $4 billion. The conflict has exacerbated institutional divisions and diverted spending to the war effort which itself is destroying rather than building much-need critical infrastructure. The existence of two separate central banks has prevented any rational monetary or fiscal policy reform and has instead contributed to a domestic banking crisis, which if left unaddressed, will result in potentially catastrophic financial loss.

The influx of foreign fighters and advanced weapons systems into the country continues unabated, and their use on the battlefield has directly led to an intensification of the conflict. Despite commitments made by all of the participants at the Berlin Conference, some of these countries have nevertheless continued to brazenly resupply one or the other side of the conflict, in a flagrant disregard of the arms embargo.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which is spreading in Libya, as it is around the world, recognizes neither national boundaries nor frontlines and clearly represents the greatest near-term threat to the welfare and well-being of the Libyan people.  The Libyan parties to the conflict and their foreign sponsors should heed the calls made by United Nations Secretary-General Guterres, as well as many concerned Libyans themselves, to halt this war immediately. 

UNSMIL and the UN family in Libya have spared no effort to address the devastating consequences the war has already inflicted.  Our humanitarian agencies are now working around the clock with the relevant Libyan authorities across the country to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNSMIL appealed to all concerned to activate the humanitarian truce immediately and cease all military operations to allow Libyan authorities to respond to the threat of COVID-19. 

It also called on the parties to this conflict, and their foreign backers, to accept the ceasefire agreement proposed in Geneva, embrace the outcomes of the Berlin conference, implement UN Security Council Resolution 2510, and engage without delay in the three UN-facilitated Libyan-led tracks (military, political, and economic) called for therein.

Libya: a training program to introduce anti-Coronavirus infection precautions

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In collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), the Ministry of Health’s Human Resources Department launched a training program in order to inform health practitioners of the precautions and conditions of anti-Coronavirus infection in health facilities during the handling of suspected new Coronavirus cases.

The Ministry stated that the training program also aims to provide health practitioners with knowledge of risks and complications of the virus infection, the screening mechanism and how to deal with suspected cases.

According to the Ministry, the program will be implemented within 25 health centres in the major municipalities of Tripoli during the first phase.

Libya’s first confirmed case is recovering

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With regards to Libya’s first patient announced on 24 March, a 73-year old man, the National Centre for Disease Control stated that he was recovering well and that it was testing him again. 

It had also again denied reports originating from his family that he had fully recovered and that he had left Al-Hadba Al-Khadra hospital.

Yesterday, the National Centre for Disease Control reported that it had conducted 5 more tests on suspected cases that all proved negative.

As a result of Coronavirus, Euro zone retail sales jump

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Euro zone retail sales jumped by more than expected in February, the month before coronavirus measures spread across the continent, as shoppers stocked up on food and drink and sharply increased their online spending. 

Retail sales in the 19 countries sharing the euro currency rose by 0.9% from January and by 3% year-on-year, the latter a 12-month high, EU statistics office Eurostat said today. 

Economists had on average forecast a monthly rise of 0.1% and a year-on-year increase of 1.7%. 

Sales rose sharpest in the month for food, drink and tobacco, by 2.4%, and for mail order and online sales, up 5.6%. 

Non-food sales rose a modest 0.2%, with a decline for computer equipment and books. Automotive fuel sales also slipped. 

Of the larger economies, retail sales were 1.2% higher in Germany and up 1.1% in France, but there were no February data for Italy, the European country first and worst hit by the coronavirus crisis. 

Compared with a year earlier, food, drink and tobacco sales were also strong.

Non-food sales were not much weaker, with a decline in spending on clothes, but increases for electrical goods, furniture, computer equipment, books, medical goods and a very sharp spike for online sales.
 

Non-food sales were not much weaker, with a decline in spending on clothes, but increases for electrical goods, furniture, computer equipment, books, medical goods and a very sharp spike for online sales.

The CBL calls on all Libyan institutions to intensify their efforts in the face of Coronavirus

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Yesterday, the Central Bank of Libya replied the Chairman of the Presidency Council Faiez Al Serraj after he accused the CBL governor Seddiq Al Kabeer of interference in the state’s economic and financial policies.

First of all, The Central Bank took the initiative in 2015 in calling for the reunification of the CBL board However, after auditing the accounts of the Tripoli as well as the eastern branch.

Furthermore, the CBL pointed out that it is committed to the UN Security Council resolution to audit both banks considering this process as the basis for any reunification.

Moreover, it stressed that it provided all the money requested by the Ministry of Health in support of its anti-Coronavirus efforts.

Also, the CBL said that it paid this year’s salaries for January, February and March after approving 2020 budget on 16 March, adding it called for the budget to be prepared in September 2019 and for it to be approved by the end of 2019 in accordance with the Libyan Political Agreement.

In addition, the Central Bank of Libya accused Libya’s Presidency Council for failing to solve the political crisis that led to the blockades of oil production and exports, the thing that negatively affected all Libya’s state institutions, adding that it is the main reason that lies behind the country’s financial and economic crisis, which aggravated the living conditions in the country.

As far as closing the clearance and transfer system with eastern banks is concerned, the CBL said that this precautionary measure was taken as the eastern CBL Governor was hacking some public accounts.

Commenting on the fact that the Central Bank of Libya stopped disbursing the sale of foreign currency, CBL affirmed that this was a necessary step because of the blockade of oil production and exports to guarantee that the country’s financial sustainability amidst an exaggerated demand for foreign currency for the purpose of speculation and profitability, adding  that it was on the verge of resuming foreign currency sales before Al Sarraj’s orders related to  amending the foreign currency sales surcharge.

Further, the CBL emphasized that during 2014, 2015 and 2016, the bank adopted a package of measures in order to face the stoppage of oil production, oil export as well as oil crises at the time which had helped in achieving financial sustainability for the country.

 In the end, the Central Bank of Libya called on all Libyan public institutions to unite and intensify their efforts in order to face the crisis.

Libya: Oil shutdown losses close to four billion USD

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The National Oil Corporation (NOC) estimated the losses resulting from the closure of ports and oil fields since January 17th, at 3,893,213,466 USD. This means the Libyan economy and financial reserves are getting weaker every day due to the blockade.   

Total oil production inside Libya is down to 92,731 barrels a day, as of April 1, 2020. 

Many NOC facilities were illegally shut-down on 17 January 2020. This resulted in the shutdown of Zawiya refinery, and since then NOC has had to increase its imports of fuels to meet people’s basic needs.   

In a statement, NOC has called on all parties within Libya to lift the blockade and re-start oil and gas production, so every Libyan can benefit from a stronger economy and a more steady supply of fuels. 

It sould be noted that NOC provides fuels to people in Eastern regions via  different ports across the Libyan coastline.  However, transportation of fuels into the Southern regions is difficult and intermittent due to the deteriorating security situation. 

Some cargo shipments are shared between various ports across the whole Libyan coastline. This is because of low levels of funding given to NOC, and to make sure vessels deliver fuel to all regions. 

The “ANWAAR LIBYA” tanker has unloaded part of its gasoline shipment in Tripoli and the rest of the shipment in Benghazi. This demonstrates NOC’s commitment and ongoing efforts to ensure that all regions are supplied with fuel.