The Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund (based in eastern Libya) announced on Monday that its director, Belgassim Khalifa Haftar, has signed a number of contracts for new development projects with two Turkish companies.
The fund’s statement did not disclose the value of the contracts, which were signed between Haftar and the Turkish companies Libco for Construction and Industry and Cavahir for Contracting, Construction, Industry and Trade. The projects will cover the cities of Benghazi, Al-Bayda, Shahat, and Tobruk.
According to the fund, the projects focus on infrastructure development, road construction and maintenance, and the establishment of specialized public hospitals aimed at enhancing healthcare services and boosting the medical sector’s readiness.
The signing of these contracts comes just a week after controversy erupted following the Central Bank of Libya’s announcement that total dual public spending in 2024 reached 224 billion Libyan dinars. This includes 123 billion dinars in spending by the Government of National Unity, 42 billion dinars through oil-for-fuel swaps, and around 59 billion dinars by the parallel government.
The Government of National Unity stated that the parallel government’s off-budget spending amounted to 59 billion dinars in 2024 — nearly five times the official public development allocation, which was limited to just 12 billion dinars.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah responded sharply, addressing House of Representatives' Speaker Aqila Saleh, Central Bank Deputy Governor Marie Al-Barassi, Belgassim Haftar, and what he described as a “prop actor” — referring to Osama Hammad, Prime Minister of the parallel government — saying: “Your war on our government is a war on the Libyan state, which will collapse because of you.”
