CBL Governor Naji Issa Launches Buna, CIPS and Cybersecurity Initiatives at Tripoli Financial Literacy Conference

Central Bank of Libya Governor Naji Issa announced a slate of new financial initiatives as the CBL opened the 5th Arab Conference on Savings and Financial Literacy on September 7, 2026 at Tripoli's Rixos Hotel, held with Bahrain-based organizer MenaMoney under the theme 'Financial Intelligence in the Era of Transformation' and running through September 9. Issa unveiled a financial-inclusion partnership with Libya Post, the 'Buna' Arab cross-border payments platform, a pilot integration with China's CIPS cross-border payment system targeting early 2027, a 'Cyber 100 Initiative' to train 100 young Libyans in banking cybersecurity, and a national research track on central bank digital currency and stablecoins. He cited digital transaction volume growing from 71 billion dinars in October 2024 to 665 billion dinars by August 2026, and said the 'Instant Salary' program had registered 1.75 million of Libya's 2.2 million public employees, cutting disbursement time to under an hour. Issa's high-profile public role at the conference comes roughly four weeks after he submitted a resignation in early August that both the House of Representatives and High State Council rejected; neither outlet's coverage addressed the resignation's current status.