Panafrican News Agency

Libyan Prime Minister hails role of Libyan Mukhtars in national reconciliation

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's Prime Minister, Abdulhamid Al Dbaiba, has stressed the importance of the efforts and role of the Libyan Mukhtars, local administrative auxiliaries to the municipalities, in making the national reconciliation project a success and preserving the country's unity and stability.

In a speech on Wednesday evening, during his participation in the third Libyan Mukhtars Forum, held in Tripoli, he said that the government was prepared to provide them with the necessary support at all levels. He announced that vehicles would be distributed to them to facilitate their tasks of providing services to citizens.

Mr. Al Dbaiba explained the government's vision to the Mukhtars on the abolition of fuel subsidies, far from the confusion that is practised on citizens and its negative use by some Libyan parties.

The Libyan Prime Minister stressed that the government will only take a decision in this regard after a referendum and consultation with the people, assuring them that its actions in this matter will receive their support, so as to guarantee their rights and block the way to the fuel traffickers who are plundering the people's assets, potential and resources.

Mr. Al Dbaiba reaffirmed that his government will submit the question of abolishing fuel subsidies to a "general referendum" to sound out the opinion of Libyans on this issue and arrive at the best treatment for this problem.

Mr Al Dbaiba said: "I am ready to receive everyone's opinions on this issue, and the door is open for discussion on how we avoid wasting resources and block the road to smugglers. In particular, I will organise a public referendum and I will personally examine all the opinions, because this is a national project that is in everyone's interest."

Reports of a final decision by the government to abolish fuel subsidies have caused an uproar among Libyans and triggered a national debate on the issue, which keeps coming up in view of the very low price of fuel and the high smuggling, particularly by land and sea to neighbouring countries, causing the country to lose billions of dollars a year.

-0- PANA BY/JSG/BBA/MA 18Jan2024