Libya's stock market resumes trading after 9 years of closure

TRIPOLI, Dec 26 (Reuters): Libya's Stock Market resumed trading on Monday at a hall in the capital Tripoli after more than nine years of closure because of the political and security situation.

The prime minister of the Government of National Unity Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and the market's chairman of board of directors Bashir Mohamed Ashour with other officials rang the bell to announce the resumption of trading.

The stock market also has a trading hall in Libya's second city of Benghazi where trading is expected to resume next week, a source said on Monday.

Dbeibah said the bourse was "one of the means to improve the Libyan economy".

"The importance of the stock market is embodied in doubling the gross domestic product and helping to close the budget deficit, which reduces the burden on the state's general budget," he said.