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🛒 تسوق الآنExpert Attacks "Crisis Merchants" Exploiting Libyans' Suffering Amid Electricity Blackouts
Expert Attacks "Crisis Merchants" Exploiting Libyans' Suffering Amid Electricity Blackouts
Libya's summer power crisis fuels price gouging as economic expert Nazem Al-Tayari condemns profiteering from public hardship
Libya's ongoing electricity blackouts have opened the door for what economic expert Nazem Al-Tayari calls "crisis merchants" — individuals and businesses exploiting worsening power shortages to drive up prices of essential goods. In a sharply worded statement on Sunday, Al-Tayari accused these profiteers of "having no conscience" as they capitalize on Libyans' suffering during an exceptionally harsh summer.
Temperatures across much of Libya have consistently exceeded 40°C (104°F) in recent weeks, compounding a severe electricity crisis that has plunged large parts of the country into daily blackouts lasting up to 12 hours or more. The outages have disrupted water pumping, food storage, and air conditioning, creating dangerous conditions for vulnerable populations.
Price Gouging on Basic Commodities
Al-Tayari highlighted sharp increases in prices of water and ice — two commodities indispensable during the heatwave. Water packs that previously sold for 2 Libyan dinars are now being sold for 3 to 4 dinars. Ice prices have doubled, he said, despite being a basic necessity that many Libyans rely on to preserve food and stay cool.
"Even water hasn't been spared," Al-Tayari said in remarks published by Libyan news outlet Ean Libya. "Water packs have been hiked up. Ice, which people give as charity in this extreme heat — they've doubled the price."
The economist also noted that fuel vendors are exploiting long queues at petrol stations, charging inflated rates as demand surges due to increased use of private generators.
The "Crisis Merchants" Phenomenon
Al-Tayari reserved his strongest language for what he described as a predatory class emerging in every Libyan crisis. "In every crisis, a handful of exploiters emerge — crisis merchants devoid of conscience and feeling, who increase people's pain and suffering with all brutality, stripped of the least meanings of humanity," he said.
He went further, describing these individuals as "a cancerous tumor spreading in society that must be excised." Al-Tayari called on authorities and civil society to confront those who profit from public distress.
Political Blame Game Intensifies
The electricity blackouts extend beyond technical failure into a bitter political dispute. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Aldabaiba openly criticized the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) over the power cuts. In response, GECOL stated it had repeatedly warned the government about fuel shortages that would lead to reduced generation — warnings it claims were ignored.
According to reports from the Libya Herald, GECOL said insufficient fuel supplies for power plants were the root cause. Meanwhile, the Brega Petroleum Marketing Company announced a 50% increase in diesel allocations for the West Tripoli power station in July, raising supply to 120 million liters — yet this has not bridged the gap.
The blackouts have also crippled water supply. Power cuts disrupt pumping stations, leaving many neighborhoods in Tripoli and other cities without running water for extended periods.
Protests and Regional Context
The deteriorating conditions have sparked protests in several areas of Tripoli. Demonstrators demanded accountability from both GECOL and the government as frustration mounts over another summer of severe shortages despite Libya sitting on Africa's largest proven crude oil reserves.
Libya's power troubles are part of a broader regional crisis. Bloomberg reported that power blackouts have swept across North Africa — from Libya to Tunisia and Algeria — as extreme heat in excess of 40°C strains aging energy infrastructure. For Libya, the crisis is compounded by years of political fragmentation since 2011, which has hindered maintenance and development of generating capacity.
Calls for Consumer Protection
Al-Tayari's condemnation has resonated widely, with Libyans sharing stories of price hikes on social media and calling for enforcement action. The economist urged citizens to document and report instances of price gouging, saying collective awareness is the first line of defense.
"These people cannot be human — they have no hearts, no feeling," he said. "They are a cancerous tumor that must be removed from society." As Libya endures another summer of blackouts and economic strain, the clash between profiteering and public necessity has become a defining test of governance and social solidarity.
— Libya Press / News Desk
