CBL Libya Certificates of Deposit Deliver 10.87% Return

The Central Bank of Libya (CBL) announced yesterday that the profits achieved from investment and speculation in the ‘‘Absolute Speculative’’ Mudaraba Certificates of Deposit, first issue for 2025, for a three-month period, was 10.878%. It said this return exceeded the expected rate announced in the prospectus for the issue.

In the same statement the CBL revealed that it also intends to launch the next issue on 16 February 2026, with an expected profit margin ranging from 8% to 10%.

On this occasion, the CBL encouraged investors to participate in investing in these Mudaraba Certificates of Deposit, thereby supporting the national economy and its stability, and achieving competitive returns for investors.

Part of a wider economic reform policy
It will be recalled that the issue of Islamic compliant certificates of deposit by the CBL comes as part of a wider policy of the Libyan authorities to reform the economy.

Specifically, it comes as part of an effort to extract liquidity out of the Libyan market by offering an investment option that could compete with buying hard currency on the black market. It is hoped this would reduce demand for the US dollar and thereby protect the falling value of the Libyan dinar.

It will be recalled that interest payment by banks to customers for their deposits is forbidden on the count that it is against Islamic Sharia. By offering term certificates of deposits the CBL is incentivising Libyans to deposit and keep their cash in their bank accounts rather than stashing it at home or speculating with it on the currency black market.

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