

Currently released so far... 12404 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
ASEC
AE
AF
AM
AR
AJ
AU
AORC
AG
AEMR
AMGT
APER
AGMT
AL
AFIN
AO
AMED
ADCO
AS
ABUD
ABLD
ASUP
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
APECO
AID
AND
AMBASSADOR
AN
ARM
AY
AODE
AMG
ASCH
AMCHAMS
ARF
APCS
APEC
ASEAN
AGAO
ANET
ADPM
ACOA
ACABQ
AORL
AFFAIRS
ATRN
ACS
AFSI
AFSN
ADANA
ASIG
AA
AX
AUC
AC
AECL
AADP
AGRICULTURE
AMEX
ACAO
ACBAQ
AQ
AORG
ADM
AINF
AIT
ASEX
AGR
AROC
ATFN
AFGHANISTAN
AFU
AER
ALOW
AZ
AVERY
BA
BY
BU
BR
BE
BL
BO
BK
BM
BILAT
BH
BEXP
BF
BTIO
BC
BBSR
BMGT
BTIU
BG
BWC
BB
BD
BX
BP
BRUSSELS
BN
BIDEN
BT
CW
CH
CF
CD
CV
CVIS
CM
CE
CA
CJAN
CLINTON
CIA
CU
CASC
CI
CO
CACM
CDB
CN
CMGT
CS
CG
CBW
CIS
CR
CONDOLEEZZA
CPAS
CAN
CWC
CY
COUNTER
CDG
CL
CT
CIC
CIDA
CSW
CHR
CB
CODEL
COUNTERTERRORISM
CTR
COM
CICTE
CFED
CJUS
CKGR
CBSA
CEUDA
CARSON
CONS
CITEL
CLMT
CROS
CITT
CAC
CVR
CDC
CAPC
COPUOS
CBC
CBE
CARICOM
COE
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CACS
CTM
CNARC
ECON
EFIN
ETRD
EUN
EFIS
EG
ETTC
EZ
EPET
EAID
EAGR
ENRG
ECUN
EU
ELAB
ECPS
EAIR
EINV
ELTN
EWWT
EIND
EMIN
EI
ECIN
ENVR
ELECTIONS
EINVEFIN
EN
ES
ER
EC
EUC
EINT
EINVETC
ENGR
ET
EK
ENIV
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ECONOMY
EAP
EFTA
EUR
EUMEM
EXIM
ERD
ENERG
EUREM
ESA
ERNG
EXTERNAL
EPA
EINVECONSENVCSJA
ECONOMICS
ELN
EINN
EFINECONCS
ENNP
EEPET
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ENVI
ETRO
ESENV
ECINECONCS
ECONOMIC
EAIDS
EDU
ETRA
ETRN
EFIM
EIAR
ETRC
EAIG
EXBS
EURN
ECIP
EREL
ECA
ENGY
ECONCS
ECONEFIN
ETC
ETRDECONWTOCS
EUNCH
EINDETRD
IR
IZ
IS
IAEA
INRB
IRAJ
IQ
IN
IT
IMO
INTERPOL
ICAO
IO
IC
ITALY
ITALIAN
IRAQI
ICTY
ID
IPR
IWC
ILC
INTELSAT
IL
IBRD
IMF
IA
IRC
ICRC
ILO
ITU
ITRA
IV
IDA
IAHRC
ICJ
ISRAELI
IRS
INMARSAT
ISRAEL
ISLAMISTS
INDO
IZPREL
ITPHUM
ITPGOV
ITF
IBET
IEFIN
INR
IACI
INTERNAL
IDP
IGAD
IEA
ICTR
IIP
INRA
INRO
IF
KJUS
KSCA
KNNP
KU
KCOR
KCRM
KDEM
KTFN
KHLS
KPAL
KWBG
KACT
KGHG
KPAO
KTIA
KIRF
KWMN
KS
KG
KZ
KN
KMDR
KISL
KSPR
KHIV
KPRP
KAWK
KR
KUNR
KDRG
KCIP
KGCC
KTIP
KSUM
KPKO
KVIR
KAWC
KPIN
KGIC
KRAD
KIPR
KOLY
KCFE
KMCA
KE
KV
KICC
KNPP
KBCT
KSEP
KFRD
KFLU
KVPR
KOCI
KBIO
KSTH
KMPI
KCRS
KOMC
KTBT
KPLS
KIRC
KREL
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFLO
KBTS
KSTC
KTDB
KFSC
KX
KFTFN
KNEI
KIDE
KREC
KMRS
KICA
KPAONZ
KCGC
KSAF
KRGY
KCMR
KRVC
KVRP
KSEO
KCOM
KAID
KTEX
KNUC
KNAR
KNUP
KNNPMNUC
KLIG
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCRCM
KHDP
KGIT
KNSD
KOMS
KWMM
KPAI
KHSA
KTLA
KO
KMFO
KRCM
KCSY
KSAC
KTRD
KPWR
KID
KWNM
KRIM
KPOA
KCHG
KOM
KSCI
KFIN
KMOC
KESS
KWAC
KMIG
KSEC
KIFR
KDEMAF
KPRV
KBTR
KERG
KTER
KDDG
KPAK
KRFD
KHUM
KDEV
KCFC
KWWMN
KWMNCS
KJUST
MARR
MOPS
MU
MTCRE
MNUC
MY
MASS
MCAP
MOPPS
MAR
MPOS
MO
ML
MR
MASC
MX
MD
MP
MA
MTRE
MIL
MCC
MZ
MK
MDC
MRCRE
MAPS
MV
MI
MEPN
MAPP
MEETINGS
MAS
MTS
MLS
MILI
MTCR
MG
MC
MARAD
MIK
MILITARY
MEDIA
MEPI
MUCN
MEPP
MT
MERCOSUR
MW
MASSMNUC
MQADHAFI
NZ
NATO
NG
NI
NO
NATIONAL
NU
NPT
NIPP
NL
NPG
NS
NA
NGO
NP
NSG
NDP
NAFTA
NR
NC
NH
NE
NSF
NPA
NK
NSSP
NRR
NATOPREL
NSC
NT
NW
NORAD
NEW
NV
NSFO
NAR
NASA
NZUS
OTRA
OVIP
OPRC
OPDC
OSCE
OAS
ODIP
OIIP
OFDP
OVP
OREP
OFFICIALS
OSAC
OEXC
OPCW
OIE
OIC
OFDA
OSCI
OPIC
OBSP
OECD
ON
OCII
OHUM
OES
OCS
OMIG
OPAD
OTR
PGOV
PREL
PHUM
PINR
PTER
PSOE
PINS
PARM
PK
PBTS
PEPR
PM
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PREF
PBIO
PROP
PA
PSI
PINT
PO
PKFK
PL
PAK
PE
POLITICS
PINL
POL
PHSA
PU
PF
POV
PFOR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PARMS
PRGOV
PNAT
POLINT
PRAM
PMAR
PG
PAO
PROG
PRELP
PPA
PCUL
PSEPC
PSA
PREO
PAHO
PGIV
PREFA
PALESTINIAN
PAIGH
POSTS
PTBS
PGOVLO
PORG
PGOVE
PLN
PINF
PAS
PUNE
POLICY
PDEM
PDOV
PCI
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PBT
PHUMPGOV
PMIL
PNG
PP
PS
PHUH
PECON
POGOV
PY
PHUMPREL
PHUS
PRL
PGOC
PNR
PGGV
PROV
PTERE
PGOF
PHUMBA
PEL
RS
RU
RW
REGION
RP
RICE
ROBERT
RSP
RUPREL
RM
RO
RCMP
RSO
RELATIONS
REACTION
REPORT
RIGHTS
ROOD
RF
RFE
RIGHTSPOLMIL
SP
SA
SY
SF
SYR
SENV
SCUL
SOCI
SNAR
SO
SU
SG
STEINBERG
SHUM
SW
SMIG
SR
SZ
SIPRS
SI
SAARC
SPCE
SARS
SN
SYRIA
SANC
SL
SCRS
SC
SENVKGHG
SAN
SNARCS
SHI
SWE
SNARIZ
SIPDIS
SEN
SNARN
SPCVIS
SEVN
SSA
SH
SOFA
SK
ST
TPHY
TU
TRGY
TI
TX
TS
TW
TC
TFIN
TD
TSPA
TH
TT
TIP
TBIO
TSPL
TZ
TERRORISM
TRSY
TN
THPY
TINT
TF
TL
TV
TK
TO
TP
TURKEY
TNGD
TBID
TAGS
TR
UP
US
UNSC
UK
UZ
UE
UNESCO
UV
UNGA
UN
UNMIK
UNO
UY
UAE
UNEP
UG
UNHCR
UNHRC
USUN
UNAUS
USTR
USNC
USOAS
UNCHR
UNCSD
UNDP
USEU
USPS
UNDC
UNDESCO
UNCHC
UNFICYP
UNC
UNODC
UNPUOS
UNCND
UNICEF
UNCHS
UNVIE
USAID
UNIDROIT
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 09TRIPOLI764, LIBYA'S AGENCY FOR ECONOMIC REFORM RENEWS REQUESTS FOR AMERICAN EXPERTISE REF: A) Tripoli 386; B) 08 Tripoli 937; C) Tripoli 223 TRIPOLI 00000764 001.2 OF 003
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09TRIPOLI764.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
09TRIPOLI764 | 2009-09-24 16:04 | 2011-01-31 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Tripoli |
VZCZCXRO3630
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHTRO #0764/01 2671623
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 241623Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5294
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVT/AMEMBASSY VALLETTA PRIORITY 0441
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0605
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5839
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TRIPOLI 000764
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/MAG; STATE PLEASE PASS USTR; ENERGY FOR GINA ERICKSON; COMMERCE FOR NATE MASON; COMMERCE FOR MARC TEJTEL AND HISHAM ELKOUSTAK OF CLDP E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/17/2019
TAGS: ECON ECIN ELAB EPET EMIN KIPR PGOV BBSR LY
SUBJECT: LIBYA'S AGENCY FOR ECONOMIC REFORM RENEWS REQUESTS FOR AMERICAN EXPERTISE REF: A) Tripoli 386; B) 08 Tripoli 937; C) Tripoli 223 TRIPOLI 00000764 001.2 OF 003
CLASSIFIED BY: Gene Cretz, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy Tripoli, U.S. Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1.(C) Summary: The staff of Libya's National Economic Development Board briefed Emboffs on Libya's efforts to train the Libyan workforce in support of economic reform plans, and in particular, the NEDB's initiatives to spur private sector growth through the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Additionally, the NEDB is developing a "Strategic Management" system to monitor and evaluate Libya's economic development after decades of isolation from international markets. NEDB requested assistance in identifying training opportunities and apprenticeships for NEDB staff in the United States; invited U.S. experts to travel to Libya to conduct training for managers of NEDB's business incubator programs, entrepreneurs, and members of local governments; and expressed renewed interest in working with the Commercial Law Development Program in a MEPI-funded program to foster exchanges between U.S. and Libyan small business development programs. End summary.
NATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD: HELPING LIBYA TO "CATCH UP" ...
2.(C) On September 16, P/E Counselor and Econoff met with Said Hoderi, Director of International Cooperation at the National Economic Development Board (NEDB); Faouzi Saleh Elmozogi, Director of Human Institutional Capacity Development at NEDB; and Dr. Fathi Ibrahim, Training Manager of the Small and Medium Enterprise Department at NEDB to discuss the NEDB's work to develop a strategic plan for Libya's economic development. Hoderi, who has been working at the NEDB since its inception, explained that the NEDB was created in 2007 by the General People's Committee (GPC) - equivalent of Prime Minister's cabinet - to implement the recommendations of a report authored by the Monitor Group analyzing Libya's development needs. The report - the result of an initiative spear-headed by Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi - recommended that Libya diversify its economy beyond the hydrocarbons sector and move towards a market-based economy.
3.(C) Elmozogi described the NEDB as a technical advisory arm that answers directly to Prime Minister al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi; as such, it can cut through the Libyan bureaucracy to implement programs more efficiently than other government agencies. Recognizing that Libya's development stagnated over the past 20 years, Hoderi emphasized that Libya must "speed up" its development spending. The NEDB is at the forefront of Libya's efforts to move from a centrally-planned economy to one in which the private sector would be the driving force (Ref A).
...THROUGH CREATION OF A STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
4.(C) One of the NEDB's most ambitious programs entails creating a system to monitor and evaluate the Libyan National Development Program, which encompasses more than 11,000 projects. Through the Strategic Management of the Development Program (SMDP), the NEDB is developing an integrated macro-management system, with the assistance of Ernst and Young and the UN Development Program, to enable the Libyan government to mitigate the potential negative effects of accelerated spending on the economy. The system will also assist with contingency planning by running various scenarios, such as fluctuations in the price of oil, the main source of Libya's revenue. The new system would act as a "dashboard" for policy-makers and indicate which projects should be sped up and which could be slowed down. Hoderi admitted that the first report of the new system was supposed to be completed by July 2009, but the NEDB was not completely satisfied with the product delivered by Ernst and Young. He said he was not aware that another such program existed; therefore, developing a strategic national economic plan specific to Libya's unique development needs had been challenging.
DEVELOPING THE PUBLIC SECTOR, INCLUDING DIPLOMATS
5.(C) In addition to developing a strategic plan for managing Libya's economic resources, Hoderi described the NEDB's leadership in improving professional training and education in Libya. Hoderi explained that the NEDB's work in this sector began at the most basic level - through primary education reform. He said that the NEDB was working with experts from Singapore to design a new program for managing the primary TRIPOLI 00000764 002.2 OF 003 education system and to incorporate a Singaporean model for education reform. Beyond primary education, Elmozogi described several NEDB efforts to improve the quality of professional training in Libya, particularly for public sector employees, including "future leaders," diplomats, judges, and local and municipal government officials. In the first program, the NEDB is cooperating with the UK government and the London School of Economics (Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi's alma mater), among other UK institutions, on an exchange program to send 400 "future leaders" of Libya for leadership and management training. Eventually, Elmozogi explained, 250 additional Libyan "future leaders" would also be trained in Libya. Likewise, the NEDB is working with universities in the United States (Michigan State and elsewhere), the UK, and France to manage exchange programs for 90 young Libyan diplomats (30 Libyan diplomats are currently being trained in each country). Hoderi responded positively to Emboffs' suggestions that Libyan diplomats in the United States coordinate a site visit to the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. Elmozogi said that the NEDB had also sent 70 Libyan judges to the UK to study English language and international law. Finally, Hoderi emphasized the NEDB's interest in working with the embassy to design a training and exchange program for members of Libya's local and municipal governments. "I believe Libyans would benefit from seeing how your small towns are run, even if our government system is very different from yours in the United States," he observed.
6.(C) As a corollary to training local government officials, Hoderi expressed an interest in studying how U.S. local governments incorporate small businesses into community development plans. He explained that as Libya moves from a public sector-dominated economy to one that is more decentralized, local governments ("shabiyas" in the Libyan system) will need to take responsibility for encouraging small businesses and spurring private sector growth. [Note: This may be an opportunity for a specialized International Visitors Program. End note.] Hoderi also asked if American experts could conduct training of trainer workshops in Libya for the public sector on leadership and management skills, including teamwork and communications. The NEDB has already trained 1,000 local government employees in these topics in Tripoli and would like to expand the program to other cities throughout the country.
REQUEST FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE WITH DEVELOPING SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES
7.(C) According to Fathi Ibrahim, the NEDB's Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) program aims to nurture small- and medium-sized businesses by providing advice on business plan formulation, loan guarantees, and access to technology. Whereas SMEs comprise more than 90 percent of economic production worldwide, Hoderi explained that they play only a minor role in Libya's formal economy. By creating "business incubators" that will assist new entrepreneurs, the NEDB hopes to facilitate the growth of SMEs and create new job opportunities, especially in tourism, trade, fishing, Information Technology, construction, and oil services. Ibrahim explained that the NEDB had already opened incubators in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sebha. He said that the NEDB plans to open specialized incubators in bio-agriculture, Information Technology, and for the physically challenged. Ibrahim requested embassy assistance in designing a program to send 10 to 15 managers of business incubators to the U.S. for training for 4-6 weeks at similar U.S. institutions. Ibrahim envisions a hands-on training program covering all aspects of management, including marketing services, setting budgets, and managing staff. Hoderi said that the NEDB was also considering sending the managers to Singapore for such a training program. In addition to training managers, the NEDB plans to train entrepreneurs from throughout Libya on all aspects of starting up a business - topics would include conducting feasibility studies, developing business plans, securing financing, and developing/managing budgets. The NEDB would like to conduct the training in Libya (starting in 2010) and then conduct a session in the United States.
AND RENEWED INTEREST IN THE COMMERCIAL LAW DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
8.(SBU) In response to Econoff's inquiry regarding NEDB interest in working with the U.S. Department of Commerce's TRIPOLI 00000764 003.2 OF 003 Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), Hoderi and his colleagues confirmed that they wanted to resurrect the study tour idea (Refs B, C). Hoderi agreed to re-establish email communications with CLDP on the latter's recommendations of early 2009 for a study tour of U.S. business incubators. COMMENT: LIBYANS SEEM VERY RECEPTIVE BUT PROOF WILL BE IN THE PUDDING
9.(C) Comment: During this latest meeting with the NEDB, the staff was more welcoming and open to working with the U.S. than in the past. The discussion broadened areas of possible cooperation to include training of NEDB staff, entrepreneurs, public sector employees, and local government leaders. If successful, such cooperation offers the opportunity to influence Libya's reform efforts at local, grassroots levels. However, past experience indicates that program implementation could be difficult. We will follow up with the Commercial Law Development Program and relevant Department offices to explore the possibilities of designing the programs outlined above. End comment. CRETZ