Libya fires head of oil firm as petrol shortage spreads

Libya’s premier suspended the head of the state fuel-distribution company after a severe shortage this week, the latest in a string of firings and probes targeting oil officials.

Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah prohibited Brega Oil Marketing Co. Chairman Fouad Belrahim from working while an investigation is under way, according to a decree published Wednesday.

The nation, an OPEC member, has seen miles-long lines at filling stations across the country due to a severe shortage of fuel cannisters. It’s added to uncertainty in a nation mired in turmoil since the overthrow of Moammar Al Qaddafi in 2011, with separate governments vying for control over the oil sector, the nation’s economic lifeline.
The internationally recognized government in Tripoli will examine the causes of the shortage, “identify those responsible for it and propose urgent solutions to end it,” the notice said. The National Oil Corp. will assign a board member to assume the duties of the chairman during the suspension period, it said.