The fuel smuggling issue is occupying public opinion in Libya, amid demands from citizens that quick solutions be found, as this crisis contributes to the loss of 750 million dollars annually, according to the estimates of the National Oil Corporation.
The expectations of those interested in economic affairs indicate the possibility of an increase in the rate of smuggling during the coming period as a result of the increase in gasoline prices in neighboring countries, after the authorities in Sudan announced the lifting of fuel subsidies to reach the price of 290 Sudanese pounds per liter, while the Tunisian authorities raised the price of fuel about two months ago to exceed two dinars.
The demands of economists in Libya stressed the need to protect the borders to maintain the cohesion of the local economy in a country where the price of a liter of gasoline does not exceed 15 Qirsh.
Libya annually allocates large funds to cover the fuel subsidy file, as the government’s proposal for the 2021 budget included a vision for the subsidy section estimated at 20 billion dinars, a large part of which will be allocated to supplying fuel.
