ERT Launches Initiative to Alleviate Transportation Barriers in Yemen
The Economic Reform Team (ERT) announced today an initiative to address transport challenges in Yemen, including opening major roads, airports and seaports and facilitating movement of people and goods to alleviate Yemen's difficult economic and humanitarian situation.
The ERT’s initiative included challenges facing by the private sector and affecting economic and humanitarian conditions in Yemen, such as: double customs and levies, in city entrances and seaports, continued closure of main roads and degradation of alternative sub roads, as well as high inflation rates and Yemen’s currency devaluation.
And the Team also proposed many solutions to address transport challenges in Yemen. Some of which are to opening Yemen's airports and seaports by allowing importing of goods and commodities in accordance with the pre-war phase applicable laws and regulations in Yemen, abolishing all restrictions in city entrances such as double tariffs, extortion, levies, and allowing all banks operating in Yemen to issue letters of guarantee and bank cheques according to applicable laws to facilitate customs clearance procedures for traders.
Moreover, the Team assured that despite the temporary ceasefire, the transportation sector in Yemen is still facing significant challenges, most notably, the closure of main roads and Customs and checkpoint levies at city entrances are still imposed and have even increased to 100% on goods imported from the port of Aden or internationally recognized Government-controlled outlets delivered to the Houthis held- areas.
The Economic Reform Group (ERT) has set transport policies and associated challenges as a top priority because of the importance they represent for strengthening economic activity and for mitigating the economic and humanitarian repercussions suffered by Yemeni citizens and seeks to facilitate the arrival of goods and products to the Yemeni people and reduce commodities prices in a country where 80% of the population currently lives below the poverty line.
It worth saying that the Economic Reform Team (ERT) is a voluntary initiative from prominent Yemeni businessmen, businesswomen, and economic experts. The ERT aims to enable the private sector to contribute to decision-making uniformly and effectively and to develop visions, strategies, and policies that promote economic reforms and growth in Yemen. The ERT strives to include wide-ranging viewpoints informed by private sector stakeholders across the country.
Click here to downlaod the initiative