“My children were aware of the low incomes in the textile industry so none of them practiced it,” said 85-year-old Ramadan Doughri a seller of traditional crafts at one of Tripoli’s most popular markets. “I have abandoned my profession which I practiced for over fifty years.” Doughri said he, along with many of his colleagues are giving up their sales of traditional Libyan crafts because imported cheap and low quality products have replaced the fine traditional ones.

“My children were aware of the low incomes in the textile industry so none of them practiced it,” said 85-year-old Ramadan Doughri a seller of traditional crafts at one of Tripoli’s most popular markets. “I have abandoned my profession which I practiced for over fifty years.” Doughri said he, along with many of his colleagues are giving up their sales of traditional Libyan crafts because imported cheap and low quality products have replaced the fine traditional ones.

Mohamed Hamza, known for making traditional Libyan costumes, has limited his work to only taking on special orders. “I no longer make traditional outfits since the market has lately been swamped with foreign products. Some traders import various products from different countries including China, India, Egypt and others and sell them for affordable prices that are desired by customers despite the poor quality of the product.”

The traditional Libyan costume for men is manufactured through an automated process and is sold for only ten Libyan dinars (US $8) while the locally manufactured one costs 130 dinars (US $104) at the very least, Hamza explained.

Copper imports

Another craftsman, who preferred anonymity, has also decided to abandon his profession and rented his modest shop in the Kezdarh market in which he practiced copper engraving to a currency trader after failing to compete with the imported cheap products that are much favored by customers than the local expensive ones.

Craftsman Abdel Raouf Nahahsi attributed his abandonment of copper engraving industry to the indifference of the government to provide proper attention and resources for craftsmen. Nahahsi said copper engraving craftsmen are compelled to import their raw materials, including coal and copper and they face numerous problems related to the inadequate banking system and regulations concerning the import of such expensive products.

Traders and craftsmen

Traditional industries in the Middle East in general and Libya in particular attract foreign tourists, but lately the Libyan markets lacked original traditional products due to the absence of monitoring, non-adherence of municipal guards to their role and failure of the craftsmen union to provide proper support for them.

Craftsman Adel Ramadan blamed the traders who introduced cheap products to the Libyan markets for the purpose of fast financial gains regardless of the interests of the local craftsmen.

Ramadan said the shops of the old city are small and lack the basic health conditions including ventilation. In addition, craftsmen are unable to provide the basic instruments for their industry such as steel hammers used in copper engraving, “I have inherited this hammer from my father who in turn inherited it from his father,” he said.

Gold and leather

Jewelers at Bab Horreyah market said they are greatly affected by the spread of imported nine-carat gold as well as fake African gold, which resembles real gold and is sold at a cheaper price.

Most of the craftsmen at Halaka market, known for its leather products, have abandoned their profession with the exception of Ben Hammoudeh’s family, which still manufactures Libyan packsaddles, the colors and inscriptions of which are inspired by the Libyan culture. Their decorations, once made of gold and silver have now been replaced by products that are colored with paint and decorated with plastic.

Shift of affiliation

Jamal Mahmoud Dakiz, member of the Traditional Industry Association said the Libyan craftsman suffers numerous problems and the union could only address the competent authorities to urge them into developing proper solutions. He added that the main reason behind this current imbalance is shifting the affiliation of transitional industries from the Ministry of Tourism to the Ministry of Industry especially since the latter has several concerns of greater priority than those related to traditional industries.

As a craftsman specialized in making women traditional costumes, Dakiz underlined: “The high costs of rent and taxes imposed on the craftsmen, in addition to the absence of health insurance and pension laws negatively affect the prosperity of traditional industry.”

Certificates of appreciation

 “The Ministry of Industry only pays attention to us when requesting products to participate in international forums and exhibitions where we receive certificates of appreciation for our work, regardless of the fact that a craftsman is compelled to suspend his work, which is his only source of income, to participate in such exhibitions to please the Ministry.”

Although craftsmen suffered recession during the revolution, they have not demanded any financial support and they are currently paying their taxes and rents despite the fact that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, to which the affairs of the old city’s shops have been assigned, raised the rent by 65%.

In addition, several laws from the former regime that are still in force, obstruct the work of the craftsmen such as the copper import and export banning law despite the abundance of this metal as a raw material that only needs to be synthesized in the form of alloys at any neighboring country.

Solutions of the ministry

The Minister of Industry Suleiman Taif acknowledged the concerns and hard circumstances experienced by the craftsmen. “A committee assigned by the ministry is currently working to overcome the difficulties they face,” he said and added that the ministry would provide financial support for those who intend to establish a factory and develop their craft.  A law offering loans was passed especially for this purpose.

As for actual achievements in the framework of supporting traditional industries, the minister said: “The Ministry is working on the development of industrial zones and distribution of investment land allocation at encouraging prices despite the obstacles related to security and armed assault by alleged former owners.”

In addition, the ministry has finalized a manual for craftsmen demonstrating the regulation of loans, numerical distribution mechanism at the level of cities and industry monitoring.