The head of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) has urged the Libyan provisional government to create an oil ministry to regulate the country’s National Oil Company (NOC).

“They should have a ministry. If you have a contract with the NOC, you need someone independent to supervise it,” Opec chief Abdullah al-Badri told Reuters.

Libya has a de facto oil minister in Ali Tarhouni, who is part of the National Transitional Council (NTC) that assumed control of the country after deposing of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi this year.

But under Qaddadi, Libya’s oil ministry was dissolved, and the NTC has yet to create a successor.