British firms told Libya is now open for business

BUSINESS leaders have urged Scottish firms to help in the reconstruction of Libya after the UK government told executives to “pack their suitcases” and fly to the war-ravaged country to win contracts.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said British companies should move quickly to secure lucrative work after the death of Gaddafi on Thursday.

He said: “Now that the campaign is over, I would expect British companies to be, even today, packing their suitcases and looking to get out to Libya to take part in the reconstruction as soon as they can.”

CBI Scotland director Iain MacMillan said Scottish oil and gas firms in particular had a big part to play in helping rebuild the country.

He said: “There’s going to be a great deal of reconstruction there, and we would encourage Scottish firms to get involved.

“In particular, we have businesses in the oil and gas supply industry who are more than up to the task of getting involved. Libya has vast supplies of oil, and while it will be good for Scottish firms to get involved, it will also be good for the world economy to get supplies out.”

Scottish Development International, the overseas arm of Scottish Enterprise, said it had been supporting Scottish firms in Libya since sanctions were lifted in 1999.

A spokeswoman for SDI said: “The situation in Libya is changing by the hour and, therefore, uncertainty still exists. However, SDI is closely monitoring the situation through our partners in UKTI [UK Trade & Investment], the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our contacts and staff in the Middle East.

“Our work to help Scottish companies trade and export overseas – regardless of location – is based on a detailed assessment of what opportunities a particular market offers. As with any market, plans for future activity in Libya will depend on a number of factors, including demand and interest from Scottish companies and what, if any, opportunities are identified.”

Libya’s National Transitional Council has said British and French firms will be favoured due to their governments’ roles in helping to topple Gaddafi.