Libyan MP, Said Imghib has affirmed the public and parliamentary rejection of the government’s proposed move to lift subsidies on fuel. This proposal, initiated by Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, aims to secure funding for the government.
Imghib expressed his view that Dbaiba should “replace this measure with a plan that reduces government and ministerial expenses.” He emphasized the need to “cut spending on phantom projects and programs of the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Al-Lafi.”
Imghib explained that the current stage “necessitates maintaining fuel and petroleum subsidies,” especially considering the “phase of reconstruction and development projects.” He argued that “subsidies are a fundamental pillar for encouraging local and foreign companies and investors in areas under the authority of Osama Hamad’s government.”
Notably, the Libyan Parliament-designated government has cautioned against the repercussions of lifting fuel subsidies, warning that it exacerbates citizens’ suffering and impacts various sectors, including education, health, industry, and commerce.
This comes in response to the decision by the rival government in Tripoli, led by Dbaiba, to remove fuel subsidies.
The government, headquartered in Benghazi and led by Hamad, stated that the “expired Dbaiba government cannot make a decision to lift subsidies.”
It described the decision as “hasty, lacking a thorough examination of its consequences and the resulting damages, without creating mechanisms to ensure its success without affecting citizens’ needs, and without jeopardizing the country’s economic and financial stability.”
The statement accused the Dbaiba government of “squandering billions without building a single vital facility to make Libya independent from fuel imports. The Government of National Unity (GNU) has not shifted from being consumer importers, to productive exporters. It has not established a single oil refinery, nor has it renewed or developed existing ones. It has neglected essential maintenance, raising concerns about its handling of Libya’s oil and gas.”
Hammad’s government emphasised that decisions regarding “spending and managing the people’s resources, should be made only through the elected legislative authority. The rights of the Libyan people cannot be tampered with, except through laws issued by the sole legislative authority in the country.”
The Parliament-designated government reiterated its commitment to implementing relevant judicial rulings, including appointing judicial guards for Libyan oil funds.