No Result
View All Result
Thursday, July 17, 2025
23 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

NOC chief Sanalla comes out fighting

byNigel Ash
June 20, 2017
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A

By Libya Herald reporters.

NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla (File photo)
NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla defends its independence  (File photo)

Tunis, 19 June 2017:

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) is arguably the only Libyan institution still able to function across the whole country and as such its integrity should be protected, its chairman Mustafa Sanalla said today.

He has used an op-ed article in the New York Times to argue that the organisation should remain independent, not be split up and must retain its monopoly on oil and gas exports. Sanalla also continued to insist that NOC must remain above politics.

He noted: “For years now, opportunists of all stripes, local and international, have tried to profit from Libya’s seemingly endless instability by disrupting its oil production”.

RELATED POSTS

Top law firm joins new British Libyan Business Association

An academy with a difference in Tripoli

The latest example he said had been triggered by the sudden souring of relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain.

He then launched an attack on Abdullah Thinni’s Beida government.

“One of the several groups that purport to be Libya’s rightful government is using that dispute as a pretext to seize control of the country’s oil and gas exports. It has accused the National Oil Corporation, the internationally-recognised body responsible for managing these resources, of working in the service of Qatar by diverting oil revenues to it via a NOC customer.”

Sanalla continued: “I am NOC’s chairman and these allegations are false. But they shine a bright light on Libya’s current tragedy. Since the revolution of 2011, the country’s oil and gas resources have been held hostage to both its fractious politics and power struggles in the Middle East.”

But Sanalla also rounded on the Presidency Council (PC). “This spring the United Nations-backed Presidency Council, which oversees the Government of National Accord, issued a decree transferring to itself the NOC’s most important functions, such as the right to negotiate concession agreements with foreign companies or set the sale price of Libya’s oil. The move was blocked by an appeals court in Benghazi, but we cannot discount the possibility of similar attempts in the future.”

The NOC chief suggested that the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) should be revised to reinforce the corporation’s authority and neutrality. He also proposed that the mandate of the EU’s anti-smuggling Operation Sophia should cover not only arms and migrants but also oil smuggling, liaising with NOC to interdict rogue tankers.

He said that NOC’s technocrat board should be insulated from arbitrary changes. Its budget for investment and maintenance should be guaranteed. It should be given the power to negotiate new foreign investments.

Sanalla also insisted that the corporation should operate with the highest degree of transparency. “I am happy to open our books to scrutiny. The Central Bank and Ministry of Finance should also make public their expenditures, since it is they, not NOC, that control Libya’s oil revenues and distribute them — or not — according to a controversial interim budget produced by the Government of National Accord. All this money ultimately belongs to the Libyan people, and they have the right to know how it is spent.”

Sanalla predicted that oil production would very soon reach a million barrels per day for the first time since 2013.

“Ring-fencing Libya’s oil sector from local and international rivalries would have an enormous impact on the country’s prospects, both economic and political” he said, “It would de-escalate the current internal conflict. It would unlock the potential of oil as a driver of national regeneration. It would, in short, allow the country’s resources to be put to work for their rightful beneficiaries: the people of Libya.”

Tags: featuredLibyaMustaf SanallaNew York TimesNOC

Related Posts

ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

ACA suspends the Executive Director, the Chairman and 6 Board members of GNMTC

July 16, 2025
ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

Three Fisheries officials temporarily suspend from work by Administrative Control Authority suspected of corruption

July 15, 2025
ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

ACA saves LD 409 million on school textbook printing, suspends Tripoli Education Ministry’s Textbook Warehouse Manager

July 15, 2025
Attorney General orders arrests at Jumhouria bank branch for embezzlement
Libya

Attorney General provides update on investigation of incidents resulting from Tripoli 2025 armed clashes and demonstrations

July 11, 2025
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

Aldabaiba seeking long term partnership not interim solutions on combatting irregular migration

July 10, 2025
Acting Interior Minister Trabelsi taking steps to counter forged ID numbers and passports
Libya

There are 4 million irregular migrants in Libya: Interior Minister Trabelsi

July 10, 2025
Next Post

Islamic Call members arrested in Tripoli after protest, strike planned Tuesday

LNA says it has made further advances into Benghazi’s Suq Al-Hout

LNA says it has made further advances into Benghazi's Suq Al-Hout

ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • Libyan Railways Implementation Authority invites International Federation of Railways to participate in November workshop

    China to resume implementation of its stalled railways projects in Libya

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Libya and Nigeria discuss gas projects, extension of export pipelines to Europe and high-level delegation visit to Tripoli

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Attorney General provides update on investigation of incidents resulting from Tripoli 2025 armed clashes and demonstrations

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Libyan olive oils win gold at Anatolian, Berlin and Japan 2025 international olive oil competitions

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund signs contract with Turkey’s Ankamenia for maintenance of Benghazi University’s medical colleges

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

ACA suspends the Executive Director, the Chairman and 6 Board members of GNMTC

CBL Governor Issa pushes for improved e-payment services despite increase of points of sale by 92% and e-transactions by 75% since 2024

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.