Several small importers issued a statement today calling on Tripoli based Libyan Prime Minister, Abdel Hamid Aldabaiba, and the Minister of Economy and Trade, Suhail Abu Shiha, to intervene urgently and immediately halt the Minister of Economy and Trade’s Decisions No. 428, 449, and 465 of 2026, which regulate foreign trade.
The merchants expressed their complete rejection of these decisions in their current form, asserting that they threaten the livelihoods of thousands of families as well as individual and small-scale business owners—particularly given the difficulty of obtaining foreign currency.
They demanded the establishment of fair and transparent mechanisms to ensure equal opportunities in import procedures and called for the inclusion of relevant stakeholders in redrafting the decisions, rather than merely forming committees.
Meanwhile, another group of small business owners affiliated to the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce issued another statement after their meeting at the Chamber today.
Their statement read: We reject the tarnishing of merchants' reputations and the practice of holding them solely responsible for rising prices.
Based on our professional experience, we emphasize that a significant portion of the goods actually supplied to the market by our merchants is financed through purchases from the parallel market.
This is necessitated by their inability to secure official letters of credit, as financing opportunities remain concentrated among a limited circle of beneficiaries.
Consequently, we call for the cancellation or postponement of this decision, which the Central Bank of Libya is unable to implement due to its inability to provide the necessary means for the required financial transfers.
It will be recalled that the Tripoli Ministry of Economy and Trade issued a series of decisions recently (Decisions No. 428, 449, and 465 of 2026) which regulate foreign trade. These stipulated the use of the Unified Digital PTS Import System and permitting the import of goods solely through the use of official banking documentary credits.
The Decision became effective on 30 September.
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