
CBL to bring FX rate of dinar to less than LD 7 per US$: CBL Governor Issa
The statement was made by CBL Governor, Naji Issa, yesterday during what the CBL described as ''an extensive'' meeting with representatives of newly licenced FX companies and FX bureaux.
These licenced FX bureaux had not existed before with foreign currency being sold informally, but in open view on the road running parallel and behind the CBL in Tripoli, on the edge of the Old City and Souk.
The newly licenced FX bureaux have not started operating yet as they await CBL activation and the deposit of hard currency into their accounts.
In his speech at the gathering in a top Tripoli hotel, Governor Issa admitted that some people may lose out because of the LD trading at less than LD 7/dollar. But added that some traders consider it a matter of stubbornness and may bring the LD exchange rate to LD 8 or 9/dollar to thwart the reform policies pursued by the CBL.
Regarding criticism aimed at the failure of the CBL to control the FX black-market, Issa said some say the CBL's management has failed, but the truth is that only the state and the citizen will fail.
CBL attempting to end black-market FX market
The CBL said the meeting comes within the framework of its continuous efforts to regulate the FX market and activate the role of the private sector in providing financial services – but in accordance with clear legal controls and standards.
Licenced FX bureaux must adhere to CBL controls
During the meeting, the Governor stressed the importance of all licensed companies and offices adhering to the controls and instructions issued by the CBL, to ensure transparency and stability in financial transactions. He stressed that the licensed activity represents a key pillar in combating the parallel market and regulating the flow of foreign currencies through official channels. Without disclosing any further details, he revealed that several supporting measures will be announced later.
During the gathering, the Governor also listened to the remarks and interventions of several representatives of FX companies and bureaux, and discussed with them the challenges they face, stressing the readiness of the CBL to cooperate closely with all concerned parties to support this important economic activity.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Netherlands to buy €500m of US arms for Kyiv in first for new Nato supply line
The Netherlands has said it will contribute €500m ($578m/£500m) to buy US military equipment for Ukraine, becoming the first Nato country to contribute to a new mechanism to supply Kyiv with American weapons. The Dutch defence minister, Ruben Brekelmans, said on X on Monday that the package would include Patriot parts and missiles. Nato's chief, Mark Rutte, welcomed the announcement and said he had encouraged other alliance members to participate in the new mechanism, called the Nato prioritised Ukraine requirements list (Purl) initiative. 'This is about getting Ukraine the equipment it urgently needs now to defend itself against Russian aggression,' Rutte – a former Dutch prime minister – said in a statement, adding that he expected 'further significant announcements from other allies soon'. President Donald Trump said last month the US would provide weapons to Ukraine, paid for by European allies, without providing details on how this would work. The US ambassador to Nato said he expected many more countries to announce over the coming weeks that they would participate. 'We're moving as fast as possible,' Matthew Whitaker told Reuters on Monday. Asked about a timeline for getting US deliveries to Ukraine under the new mechanism, he said: 'I think we'll see it moving very quickly, certainly in the coming weeks, but some even sooner than that. The Dutch are just the first of many.' Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the Netherlands' decision. 'Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, will be better protected from Russian terror,' the Ukrainian president said on X. 'I am sincerely grateful to the Netherlands for their substantial contribution to strengthening Ukraine's air shield.' Donald Trump's special envoy is expected in Moscow days before Donald Trump's deadline on Friday for Russia to make progress on ending the Ukraine war or face increased US sanctions, reports Shaun Walker. The US president said Steve Witkoff would visit Moscow on Wednesday or Thursday. When asked what message Witkoff would take to Russia and what Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, could do to avoid new sanctions, Trump: 'Get a deal where people stop getting killed.' Sources in Kyiv said they expected Keith Kellogg, Trump's Ukraine envoy, to visit the country towards the end of the week, possibly to coincide with Witkoff's visit to Moscow. Ukraine said on Monday it had charged six people, including a lawmaker and a government official, for embezzling funds in the purchase of drones and jamming equipment for the military. Anti-corruption authorities said on Saturday they had uncovered a scheme offering kickbacks for purchases at inflated prices and that it allegedly involved a legislator, one current and one now-sacked official, a National Guard commander and two businessmen. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau alleged the bribes totalled about 30% of the contracts' value and that the drone contract was worth $240,000, with an inflation of about $80,000. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had visited Ukrainian troops holding the line in the Kharkiv region bordering Russia and discussed how drones were used in fighting. 'Our warriors in this sector are reporting the participation of mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and African countries in the war,' the Ukrainian president said on a social media on Monday. 'We will respond.' Donald Trump said on Monday he would substantially raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. 'Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.' Trump earlier announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods starting last Friday, while New Delhi said it would safeguard its interests and called its targeting 'unjustified'. Russia's Ryazan oil refinery has halted around half its refining capacity since 2 August after a Ukrainian drone attack last week, three industry sources told Reuters. Two primary oil refining units at the Rosneft-operated refinery – about 180km south-east of Moscow – were stopped after the attacks, they said.

Finextra
an hour ago
- Finextra
Latvian fintech startup Handwave raises $4.2 million for palm payments
Latvian fintech startup Handwave has raised $4.2 million in seed funding to launch its palm-based payment and identity platform in Europe and the US. 0 The round includes backing from regional investors, led by Practica Capital, with support from FirstPick, Outlast Fund and and will fund product development, regulatory certifications, and live retail pilots. Handwave enables customers to scan their palm using their phone camera, and link payment and loyalty cards, as well as identity credentials, to a secure digital wallet. Once enrolled, users hold their palm over a reader to pay, activate loyalty, or confirm their age. Jānis Stirna, co-founder of Handwave, says: 'The checkout process in physical stores is still full of friction—digging for a wallet, opening apps, scanning loyalty cards or QR codes, verifying age while buying age-restricted items. It's slow, clunky, and often frustrating. Handwave simplifies all of that with a single gesture.' To date, Handwave has raised $5 million in total funding, including an earlier $780,000 angel investment. The company is currently preparing for market pilots with selected merchants across the Baltics.


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Some tourists and business travelers may face up to $15,000 bond to enter US
The US state department has prepared plans to impose bonds as high as $15,000 for some tourism and business visas, according to a draft of a temporary final rule. The bonds would be issued to visitors from countries with significant overstay rates, under a 12-month pilot program. It renews an initiative issued by the first Trump administration in November 2020, the month that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the presidential election. That rule would have required a $15,000 bond for tourist and business travelers from two dozen countries with 10% or higher overstay rates, mostly in Africa. The new federal registry notice of the visa bond pilot program is scheduled to be published on 5 August. 'The Pilot Program will enable the Department to assess the operational feasibility of posting, processing, and discharging visa bonds, in coordination with the Department of the Treasury ('Treasury') and the Department of Homeland Security ('DHS'), and to inform any future decision concerning the possible use of visa bonds to ensure nonimmigrants using these visa categories comply with the terms and conditions of their visas and timely depart the United States,' it states. It said it would announce the countries in question at the ' website no fewer than 15 days before the pilot program takes effect. It also said the list might change, again with 15 days notice. Tourists and business travelers would receive their bonds back when they depart the US, are naturalized as a citizen or die, according to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement regulations. The original six-month pilot program was never implemented. A state department spokesperson told Reuters that countries would be selected based on 'high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement, and foreign policy considerations'. The department did not provide an estimate on the number of applicants who could be affected. The Trump administration has cracked down on immigration to the US, including terminating temporary protected status for many people living in the US, and banning immigration visas outright for 12 countries. The bond policy could build on the president's travel ban, which went into effect in June, mainly impacting countries in the the Middle East and Africa. Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar and Yemen were targeted under the ban and also have high rates of visa overstays. Other countries with high overstay rates include Burundi, Djibouti and Togo, Reuters said, citing federal data from 2023. The US Travel Association, a group that represents major tourism firms, said in a statement that the scope of the visa bond pilot 'appears to be limited', affecting an estimated 2,000 applicants, likely from countries with low rates of travel to the US. The state department last month also unveiled new guidance directing US diplomats to review the online activity of foreign students before issuing educational and exchange visas. Students who refuse to unlock their social media profiles will be suspected of hiding the activity from US officials. The announcement of the new policy comes as data has shown the US is suffering a sharp decline in tourism, including an 11.6% decrease in overseas visitors in March, with the tourism industry expected to lose out on billions of dollars this year due to government actions. Travel from Canada and Mexico has fallen by 20% year over year, according to the US Travel Association. That group has also warned about the impact of requiring visitors to pay a $250 'visa integrity fee', which was included in Trump's sweeping tax bill last month. That fee, if adopted, would be one of the highest in the world for a country to charge. There have also been increasing accounts of tourists and visitors with valid visas getting detained by Ice, escalating fears that a trip to the US could carry serious risks. Reuters contributed reporting