Tripoli based Libyan Minister of Economy, Suhail Abu Shiha, admitted that the country’s fuel imports have increased the economy’s vulnerability.

Speaking on local TV, he revealed that fuel imports have reached 40% of Libya’s total imports.

The admission comes on the background of the revelation of how Libya’s fuel import bill had spiked over the last month.

This has raised eyebrows with fingers pointed squarely at the phenomenon of fuel smuggling and its association with state recognised militias and security forces.

The recent violence at the Zawia Oil Refinery and its notoriety for fuel smuggling has made the fuel import bill a hot topic.

The topic has also returned the Libyan public to the perennial question of the sustainability of state fuel subsidies.

On a more positive note, Abu Shiha said the fuel import bill will decrease when the Ras Lanuf refinery begins production in early 2027, increasing the added value to the economy.

However, he gave no hard figures of the quantity the refinery is expected to contribute nor did he offer any long-term solutions to the issue of fuel subsidies.

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