Study financed to reform transport sector

Libya and African Development Bank Group launch transport sector reforms to drive economic recovery

LIBYA: A study financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) will provide a situational and gap analysis of Libya’s transport sector aimed at supporting the country’s economic recovery.

At a three-day workshop earlier this month, the AfDB alongside the country’s Ministry of Transport as well as the Ports and Maritime Transport Authority sat down to define a roadmap for implementing a strategic transport sector study.

The strategic plan includes prioritised short- to medium-term actions, recommendations for policy and institutional reform, an action plan to strengthen private sector participation, and indicative financing options for future investments.

It is also expected to identify bankable public and private sector projects and help build a stronger pipeline for future Bank engagement in transport and logistics infrastructure.

The session brought together Bank experts and representatives from Libya’s ministries of Finance and Transportation, the executing agency, and the project implementation unit. Discussions focused on implementations arrangements and the way forward.

The Libyan delegation was led by Issam Abdallah Al-Qouri, Chair of the Preparatory Committee at the Ports and Maritime Transport Authority, and included representatives of the Land Transport Authority, the Roads and Bridges Implementation Authority, and the Ministry of Transportation headquarters.

The study is financed through a $340,000 grant from the African Development Bank Group’s Middle-Income Country Technical Assistance Fund (MIC-TAF), supplemented by counterpart funding from the Libyan Government. The grant supports the preparation of a strategic transport sector plan to improve efficiency and performance across the sector as part of Libya’s broader economic recovery reforms.

“An efficient and integrated transport system connects people to opportunities, facilitates trade, and enhances quality of life,” said Malinne Blomberg, the Bank Group’s Deputy Director General for North Africa and Country Manager for Libya.

PHOTO: Group photo of participants at the workshop launching a strategic study on Libya’s transport sector. (Source: African Development Bank)