Tripoli, Under the slogan “Challenges of Reality and Steps to the Beginning”, the Libya International Spatial Development Forum was held today at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Tripoli.
The event was held in the presence of Ramadan Boujanah, Deputy Prime Minister, Mohamed Al-Hwej, Minister of Economy and Trade, several undersecretaries, specialists and interested parties from state institutions, business leaders, and a group of dignitaries from the Libyan south.
Seeking a vision for spatial development and transit trade in the south
The forum seeks to set a clear vision for transit trade as a start for the wheel of spatial development in the south and to provide academic and professional knowledge represented in the data and information related to the transit trade project. It seeks to provide a full briefing on the characteristics and advantages of the Libyan south and to draw a road map for the development of the regions of the Libyan south through transit trade and its services.
Establishing spatial development in the south needs US$ 10 bn
In his speech at the event, Minister of Economy and Trade Hwej said, “Before talking about transit trade, we must talk about establishing spatial development by encouraging agriculture, especially the cultivation of olives and palm trees, and paying attention to industries based on raw materials that are abundantly available in the south of Libya – before talking about transit trade.”
Stressing that the south, which suffers from marginalization and neglect, needs nearly ten billion dollars for its development.
Transit trade needs infrastructure expenditure: airports, ports, roads, and warehouses
Minister Hwej said Libya will need four main airports in large cities to establish transit trade, deep ports to accommodate ships of large sizes and deep drafts, and two main roads.
One of these transit trade roads would extend from Misrata to the southern Free Zone of Tamanhint and from there to Niger and the rest of the sub-Saharan African countries. The second road would extend from Benghazi’s Port of Jilliana to Port Sudan and from there to post-South Sudan countries. There will be the need to establish huge storage warehouses distributed on these two roads in the areas it passes through to store goods and commodities destined for Africa
Libya should be divided into 10 governorates
Hwej called for the division of Libya into ten governorates, whereby special budgets are allocated, and each governorate disposes of its budget in line with its interests, so that it is characterized by complete freedom in determining its priorities.
No clear vision
the Economy and Trade Minister noted that the problem in Libya is that there is no clear vision, and this vision must be quickly developed and directed towards a benefit economy and away from old ideas, as the world builds its relations on interest.
Directing his speech to Deputy Prime Minister Ramadan Boujanah, Hwej asked Boujanah to pressure the government to pay more attention to the south, which is considered Libya’s food basket and the pillar of its policies.
