Al-Arfi sees smuggling as the core of the fuel crisis
LIBYA – House of Representatives member Abdulmonem Al-Arfi has held the executive, oversight and legislative authorities, including the House itself, responsible for the worsening fuel crisis in several parts of Libya, arguing that the shortage of petrol at filling stations is linked more to smuggling and the draining of supplies than to weak distribution alone.
Fuel leaving depots for the parallel market
In exclusive remarks to Sputnik, Al-Arfi said fuel allocated for local consumption was leaving storage depots, but that smuggling it to neighbouring countries or selling it inside Libya outside approved channels had contributed to the supply shortage.
He pointed to the closure of stations and a booming parallel market in fuel at high prices beyond the means of many citizens.
Oversight, accountability and contracts
He stressed the importance of the oversight bodies’ role in protecting oil and its derivatives as the country’s main source of revenue, calling on parliament to exercise its powers, hold those involved in smuggling to account, and review the contracts of companies operating in the sector and regulate them under the authority of the state.
He said the positions of the House presidency had so far been limited to condemnation, and that what was needed was practical action, including holding the bodies overseeing fuel to account and preventing the disposal of oil outside institutions and legal frameworks.
Guaranteeing the official price and concerns in farming areas
He called for fuel to reach citizens at the official price, saying that assigning bodies to oversee distribution at stations had not ended the crisis, particularly in farming areas facing difficulties as the planting season approaches.
Cars queuing at a petrol station in Derna were cited as an example of the shortage.
The customs dollar and the cost of goods
On the adjustment of the customs dollar rate, Al-Arfi said the measure could weaken market openness and harm imports, adding that traders would be affected first before the additional costs were passed on to the end consumer.
Expert committee studying solutions, no final decision
He added that a committee of economic and technical experts had been formed to study the crises and put forward proposals to address them, and that upcoming decisions would be based on its recommendations, noting that no final decision had yet been issued that would allow the effectiveness of the measures to be judged.
