TRIPOLI, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan House of Representatives, based in the eastern city of Benghazi, on Monday decided to summon the governor of the Central Bank of Libya over the country's ongoing cash shortage.
The Libyan News Agency reported that the parliament "unanimously voted today to summon Central Bank Governor Nagy Issa, his deputy, and the board of directors to attend the next session to discuss the bank's policies and the cash shortage." No date for the session has been set.
The meeting, chaired by First Deputy Speaker Fawzi Al-Nuwairi, reviewed the central bank's latest report. The parliament's decision comes amid criticism of the Tripoli-based bank, including claims that it played a role in the current cash crisis.
On Oct. 14, the central bank said it had ordered 60 billion Libyan dinars (about 11 billion U.S. dollars) in new banknotes to maintain liquidity while withdrawing old notes. Around 47 billion dinars had already been withdrawn to stabilize the currency, including roughly 10 billion dinars of unknown origin that had not been issued by the bank.
Since 2014, Libya has been split between rival eastern and western administrations, each claiming control over key state institutions, including the central bank. ■