Libyans sleep at banks’ doors hoping to cash out money in the morning

Amid the current acute shortage of cash in Libya, especially in the capital, many Libyans have been accustomed lately to sleeping in the open at the doors of banks, hoping they could be the first to cash out some of their salaries in the next morning.

Despite recurrent arrivals of newly-printed banknotes in Tripoli, the latest of which was a week ago, thousands of people gather and crowd every morning at the doors of banks trying to withdraw some of the money they have in their accounts.

The growing anger of people at the current financial catastrophe in the country comes amid meetings by the Government of National Accord here and there, the last of which was in London and resulted in speculations for better economy and better oil production.

“How would London meeting affect us as normal citizens, who are standing in queues every day at the banks to get 200 or 300 Libyan dinars a month out of our 1000 Libyan dinars salaries.” One bank frequenter told the Libyan News.

On Wednesday, however, the Presidential Council (PC) secured a deal with the Central Bank of Libya that will see an agreement by the CBL to give the PC budget money for state expenditure.

The agreement that followed the two-day international meeting on Libya’s economy in London allows 7 billion euros for the PC headed by Fayez Al-Serraj in order to provide for the basic needs for the Libyan citizens.