The document outlines the progress and challenges faced in promoting SME development in Libya as part of an EU-supported initiative. Key findings highlight a strong entrepreneurial interest among youth, while also pointing out high unemployment rates and significant barriers to business, such as government instability and poor access to finance. Future strategies include enhancing self-employment opportunities, establishing business support centers, and improving the overall business environment.

1. SLEIDSE PROJECT ( 2016 )
Progress & Perspectives
OECD WORKSHOP: SME DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IN LIBYA
Mohamed Alaswad
Tunis – 8 -12- 2016

2. Support Libya Economic Integration, Diversity And
Sustainable Employment Program Is An EU- Action. Co-funded
and Implantation by Expertise France
Objectives :
- Economic recovery and job creation
- Improving the business environment including access to finance
- Defining a plan to foster economic diversification
12-Dec-2016 2

3. SME’s Eco -System
Institutional
( Legal, Polices
& Institutions )
Entrepreneurship
Culture , education
& Skills
Development
Incentives and
Public support
+ Incubation
Access to
Finance
Market Creation
& PPP
Economic
Information
System
Infrastructure
( incubators,
Industrial zones
& clusters)
Business
Diplomacy
SME’s ECO- System
12-Dec-2016 3Mohamed Alaswad

4.  The aspiration survey has been carried out and is very instructive.
 The on-line course for entrepreneurs is available since October 25th on
the platform and registered as of today 800 participants.
 Cooperation with Libya Enterprise has lead to 2 training sessions for
over 30 staff
 A working group on access to finance has been set gathering key
economic players in Libya to work toward the establishment of a SME
Credit Guarantee.
 The programme is driving a community on Facebook of more than 3300
people eager to engage in the entrepreneurship route
Major outcomes and achievements so far
12-Dec-2016 4

5. Focus: Study youth aspirations survey
 Libyan youth are strongly attracted towards entrepreneurship (71%)
 Public sector does not attract a majority of young workers anymore, 47%
of the active population compared to 53% in the private sector
 Although the total entrepreneurial rate is high, actual companies created
remain small and mostly informal
 Unemployment for the 16-34 category reaches 24% as a percentage
particularly the youth aged between 20 and 29 with an unequal
distribution: 46% of women are unemployed compared to only 13% of
males
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6. Online learning for entrepreneurs
 Partnership with ITC to develop an on-line course to sensitize
Entrepreneurs. The course is in Arabic and customized to Libya. It is
accessible 24/7 and free of charge. Libyantradeacademy.org
 12 Libyans institutions are already partnering with us to run in-class
trainings. 16 trainers were trained in October to run these classes.
 To date, we are accounting 1010 enrollments 250 certified completion.
 A press release has been jointly carried out with ITC. The sponsored
ad on Facebook has reached more than 54 500 people and has
generated more than 7 500 reactions and comments
12-Dec-2016 6

7. The Libyan Trade
Academy
Supporting Libyan entrepreneurs
through practical training
Libyantradeacademy.org
www.libyantradeacademy.org

8. ‫ليبيا‬ ‫دولة‬
‫العام‬ ‫الوطني‬ ‫المؤتمر‬
‫الوطني‬ ‫التخطيط‬ ‫مجلس‬
‫الوطنية‬ ‫اإلستراتيجية‬
‫والمتوسطة‬ ‫الصغرى‬ ‫للمشروعات‬
‫يوليو‬2013
‫ليبيا‬ ‫دولة‬
‫العام‬ ‫الوطني‬ ‫المؤتمر‬
‫الوطني‬ ‫التخطيط‬ ‫مجلس‬
‫الوطنية‬ ‫اإلستراتيجية‬
‫واإلبتكار‬ ‫والتكنولوجيا‬ ‫للعلوم‬
‫يونيه‬2014
12-Dec-2016 8Mohamed Alaswad

9. P0 6314 - Libyan Private Sector
Development Institutions (LPSDI)
Baseline M&E Data: Libyan
Jobseekers
12-Dec-2016 9Mohamed Alaswad
Youth Motivations
to Employment
Inception Report
Prepared by Altai Consulting for | Libya –

10. 12-Dec-2016 10Mohamed Alaswad

11. Future Box
12-Dec-2016 11Mohamed Alaswad

12. Entrepreneurial Dynamics in
Libya
12-Dec-2016 Mohamed Alaswad 12
Source: Reports of GEM Libya 2014, Alti 2016 and OECD 2016

13. The most problematic factors for doing
business In Libya ( 2014) ( OECD Report 2016)
Factors Indicator
Government instability/coups 82 %
Political instability 78%
corruption 78%
Crime and theft 66%
Policy uncertainty 58%
informal economy 56%
Access to financing 56%
Inadequately educated workforce 56%
Inadequate supply of infrastructure and Land 54%
Poor work ethic in national labor force 50%
Foreign currency regulations 48%
Inefficient government bureaucracy 30%
Restrictive labor regulations 25%
Water, electricity, transport and communication 25%
Inflation, Tax regulations and Tax rates 25%
12-Dec-2016 Mohamed Alaswad 13

14. SME Trade Academy
participant locations
The 1st course was launched in April 2014
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15. 12-Dec-2016 15

16. 12-Dec-2016 16

17. Results to date
1010
participants
all over
Libya
250
certified
Sirte
Bani Walid
Jalu
Kufa
Zawiya
12-Dec-2016 17Mohamed Alaswad

18. Results to date
44 locations
Lead by:
• Tripoli
• Misrata
• Benghazi
• Zawira
• Gharyan
12-Dec-2016 18Mohamed Alaswad

19. Supporting Libya Enterprise
 30 staff of Libya Enterprise over 2 sessions were trained in Tunisia on
business case management, accounting and finance to better
accompany MSMEs.
 A Business Plan Contest is being jointly organized with Libya Enterprise
to select the 10 best business ideas (5 men and 5 women) which will
compete during a final in Tunis, where European, Tunisian and Libyan
companies will award the 3 most promising with prize money.
 A strategic workhop to brainstorm the positionning of Libya Enterprise
within the Libyan BSOs landscape will take place in Paris in December
with a MSME expert and a communication Expert
12-Dec-2016 19

20. Access to finance.
 Setting-up of the working group on access to finance which includes key
economic stakeholders in Libya along with international experts,
 The first meeting took place in Tunis and gathered more than 60 persons
including Libyan public and private banks, the Central Banks, MoE, Libya
Enterprise, regional banks and credit guarantee funds, private sector
representatives, the OECD, the WB, and BPI France.
 Large media coverage and TV broadcast,
 Next meeting is planned on December 15th, with libyan Central Banks and
public/private banks. The expertise is brought by BPI France.
12-Dec-2016 20

21. • Support Creation of EU- Libya Trade center
- EF Contracted with Global cool and the report will be
delivered by Feb.2017
12-Dec-2016 21

22. Lessons learned
 The youth in Libya is eager to move forward and find a decent job, although
opportunities are lacking for now;
 The online approach is working, even with limited interned speed;
 Further effort on disseminating the entrepreneurship culture is needed to
overcome the social perception of being an entrepeneur.
 Coaching mechanisms and technical assistance services for start-ups and
MSMEs are not commonly known and would need to be developped.
 Existing SMEs are despertly in need of capital and/or investment. Possibilities to
get funding through classical financing tools are almost non-existant
 The existing business environment severly hinders the development of a sound
private sector.
12-Dec-2016 22

23. Preliminary strategy for 2017/2018
1. Focus on providing the youth with self-employment opportunities
and in disseminating the entrepreneurship culture
2. Support the development and the establishment of Business
Support Centers
3. Work toward a better access to finance MSMEs and start-ups
4. Improve the overall business environment in focusing on public
policies
12-Dec-2016 23

24. Thank You
12-Dec-2016 24