Al-Sahwa [Archives:2005/843/Press Review]
12 May 2005
Main headlines
– In a press conference held by Al-Quds establishment, sheikh al-Ahmar: defending Al-Quds collective responsibility for rulers and people
– Cabinet abolishes medicine faculties at private universities except the University of Science and Technology
– Bajammal loses consciousness 24 hours due to having expired medicine, health minister reveals about government medicine in special pharmacies
– Following a woman sit-in, general prosecutor releases a detained woman accused with husband and sister of affiliation to al-Houthi organisation
– Committee on investigating issues of corruption in oil sector in Aden presents its report to parliament
– Sana'a university president assails University professors, accusing them of academic corruption
– Yemen students appeal to civil society organisations to support them
– Attempt to release a shipment of decayed wheat at Hodeidah port
Columnist Zaid al-Shami writes saying prices of various essential foodstuff are rising daily, added to that prices of construction materials, accessories and even prices of services such as electricity and water as well as taxes. The only thing that does not rise is the individual income. It is becoming less even if it was fixed because of the drop in value of purchasing power of the local currency and increase in volume of inflation.
The crazy rise of prices is unjustifiable and illogical given the tangible variables. The direct cause may be the utter silence shown by all the concerned, including the citizen who tries to adapt himself to the wave of high prices.
The problem is aggravating and there is no ray of hope for solving it, even at the level of discussing it and holding symposiums about it. Who would then be responsible for that? Is it the government and its failing policy, owners of factories and farms or does it lie in the citizens and the way of their consumption.
The government says it is following a market policy according to the capitalist style, leaving the mater to supply and demand. Investors claim that taxes imposed on them threaten them of collapse and therefore many of them began to transfer their investments abroad.
If each side bears part of the responsibility, the government undertakes or rather plays the biggest and most important role. It is not reasonable for the government to sit hands folded and solve its problems via raising prices and claims that the market economy exempts its from responsibility.
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