A number of representatives of the private sector, relevant authorities, researchers and stakeholders from transport unions have discussed transport obstacles in Yemen and their repercussions on economic activity in a webinar organized by Studies & Economic Media Center in partnership with the Economic Reforms Team, on June 06, 2022.
At the beginning of the webinar, Head of the Studies & Economic Media Center, Mustafa Nasr, stressed the free movement is one of the most important and biggest issues at the present time in Yemen, and linked to dignity and life.
" The blocking of roads has cost the citizen a lot of suffering and risen the prices five times. All international and local laws and constitutions guarantee the right of people to move, including transporting goods by land and sea," added Naser.
For his part, Head of the Economic Reforms Team, Ahmed Bazara, confirmed that the team exerted a great effort during the last period by defining economic priorities and preparing the matrix of the private sector. The Government of National Accord adopted many of them, but the situation changed and Yemen has got into a devastating war. However, the reforms team has kept working and changed its priorities so as not to abandon the main task, which is providing economic policies, advice and visions to the government and the actors in the Yemeni scene.
" The transport obstacles during this period are huge, starting with transporting goods from abroad and between cities until they reach the citizen," Bazara added.
Dr. Jamal Dirham reviewed the axes of the study, titled "Obstacles of domestic and external transport and their repercussions on the economic and humanitarian situation in Yemen". He reviewed the war effects on the land, sea and air transport sector, the rise in food prices and their impact on local products and the high costs of production.
Jamal, the author of the study added: The rise in fuel prices, the closure of ports, and the costs of domestic transportation have negatively affected the freedom and costs of transportation, which was detoured from main, short and paved roads to long and costly roads. Besides, the cost was doubled by the double taxes, customs, levies, controlling centers and placing obstacles in the way of transportation in general and goods in particular.
Khaldoun Abdullah, the office director of the Deputy Minister of Transport in the internationally recognized government, reviewed a paper prepared by the Ministry of Transport, entitled "Transport Obstacles in Yemen and their Repercussions on the Private Sector." The paper has also presented many solutions, proposals, and measures that were taken during the last period.
The webinar included many interventions, as many participants called for the importance of moving the inspection of ships to inland, especially in the areas under the control of the Yemeni government. They also urged the government to intervene, reduce the transportation cost and solve the problems of supply and dual levies in all regions, which is approximately 15% to 20% of the cost paid by the citizen. They also urged the necessity of unifying the transport fund between Sana’a and Aden and unifying the amounts that will contribute to the maintenance of roads on a regular basis.
The participants also called on the state to re-evaluate the stalled road projects and to communicate with donors such as the World Bank to refinance the roads maintenance hindered before the end of the financial grant.