Libya - Wealth Creation Programming

Post Conflict Reconstruction
13 January 2013

Upper Quartile is supporting the Arab Partnership – a joint venture between the FCO and DFID - in developing and building the private sector in Libya following the revolution.   We are working within a cross-Whitehall team and blending security sector reform, private sector development (international and domestic investment) and public financial management into a structural reform programme.

 

The economic dynamics in Libya are different from any other fragile and post-conflict economy that we have worked in.     Libya is a country has substantial assets in cash terms and international investments, an established external investment capacity with assets held in Europe and globally, a thriving oil and gas industry providing a consistent and sustainable income that many countries (including the UK) would welcome ….. but this is combined with an over-inflated public sector and a tiny and informal private sector leaving little room for young people to find jobs and the youth increasingly marginalised.    

 

There is significant youth unemployment - of whom many are armed - adds to the economic dynamics with many youth holding high expectations of opportunity following regime-change 12 months ago.   

 

This has required a different approach to development, moving away from the agri-focussed, livelihood based approach of Afghanistan, Bosnia and many North African countries into one of immediate and short-term Job Creation with structural reform being accelerated through the system in parallel with Job Creation supporting immediate opportunity for 500,000 unemployed youth.    A series of several inter-linked programmes have been designed to support PSD over a two year period.

 

Upper Quartile also publishes the Libya Business News a free weekly newsletter on the opportunities in Libya.

 

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