São Paulo – The new government of Libya plans to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, train the population and expand the economy. To put these projects in practice, the Libyans need Brazil as one of the main trade partners. The country’s deputy prime minister, Abdulsalam Al-Mahdi al Qadi, who visited the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) on Thursday (18), presenting to businessmen projects for the coming years and said he wishes to have Brazilian companies in his country.
Some of these companies suspended their business in Libya during the revolution that resulted in the death of dictator Muamar Kadafi, in October 2011. Prior to the meeting, Al Qadi said to ANBA that he wishes for the return of projects that have been stopped in order to attract “other companies”. The companies that interrupted their operations were construction companies Odebrecht, Andrade Gutierrez, Queiroz Galvão and state-owned oil company Petrobras. On Thursday, Al Qadi met with representatives of these three companies and with employees of machinery maker Weg, slaughterhouse JBS and construction company OAS.
Al Qadi came to Brazil at the invitation of the country’s vice president, Michel Temer, with whom he met on Wednesday (17) in Brasília. “I was invited to visit several countries, but I only accepted the Brazilian invitation, due to the country’s strength. We greatly count on the Brazilian presence in the Libyan reconstruction process and the Arab Brazilian Chamber may play an important part in generating closer ties between the countries and their companies, and may simplify contacts,” he said.
Although he recognises that he needs partnership with Brazilian companies in the reconstruction process in the country, Al Qadi said, however, that the businessmen should not do so thinking solely about profit. The government of Libya wishes for companies to invest in the country and to engage in training the Libyan people to operate in the local labour market.
Trade delegation
The CEO at the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Michel Alaby, stated that the institution should organise a delegation to the country still this year. The Marketing vice president at the Chamber, Riad Younes, also said to Al Qadi that Brazilian institutions may help Libya recover its health system. Both activities should be promoted in the second half of this year. The trade delegation should be accompanied by a delegation of congressmen organised by Adrian Mussi, president of the Brazil-Libya Parliamentary Committee.
The ambassador of Brazil to Tripoli, Afonso Carbonar, is accompanying Al Qadi on his visit to Brazil and stated that the country offers opportunities. According to Carbonar, Libya should record growth of between 10% and 15% in coming years and should expand oil production from 1.6 million barrels a day to two million barrels a day in 2014. The country has approximately US$ 150 billion in international reserves and per capita income of US$ 12,000, the largest in Africa. The country exports US$ 60 billion a year and imports US$ 40 billion.
“In 2012, Libya bought almost US$ 450 million in products [from Brazil], of which 85% was meat and chicken. There is potential for agroindustry, also for electronic products, capital goods and building companies. They are coming to seek partners in Brazil as they understand that the country has a stabilizing force, operates harmoniously and exerts peaceful leadership in the world,” said Carbonar.
*Translated by Mark Ament
