The Ministry of Interior and the Central Bank agree to combat the parallel market for hard currency

Tripoli, May 18, 2026 (LANA) – Interior Minister of the Government of National Unity, Major General Emad Al-Tarabulsi, and Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Naji Issa, agreed on a number of measures aimed at curbing negative phenomena associated with the parallel market, primarily addressing speculation in the dollar exchange rate.

This came during a meeting held between the two sides at the Central Bank on Monday, attended by leaders of the Interior Ministry's security agencies and several department directors from the bank, to discuss shared economic and security issues affecting the banking sector and the country's financial stability.

The meeting addressed a joint action plan aimed at reducing negative phenomena in the Libyan economy, including the activity of the parallel currency market and its elimination, given its negative impact on the national economy and exchange rate stability. The plan also aims to curb the smuggling of goods across land borders and the phenomenon of imports outside the banking system, which leads to the importation of substandard and prohibited goods.

The meeting discussed the issue of money transfers and the risks arising from their use outside the legal framework, and the economic and security threats this poses, necessitating intervention by the Ministry of Interior and its relevant agencies, in coordination and partnership with the Central Bank of Libya.

It was also agreed to form a joint working group comprising security agencies, the Ministry of Interior, and the Central Bank of Libya to develop a mechanism and strategy to combat companies and shops operating without the necessary licenses from the Central Bank, take deterrent legal measures against them, grant them a grace period to rectify their status, and put an end to speculative trading in the market.

...(LANA)...