Fishermen objects to taxes, go on strike [Archives:2005/832/Local News]

Hodeidah fishermen went on a general strike which started one week ago. They stopped work because committees from the Ministry of Finance continued to impose taxes on buyers who themselves stopped to buy fish.

“Daily Taxation Committees are present at the Fishing Corporation and imposes 30% taxes on fish and 60% on prawns which forced purchasers to refrain from buying fish. That resulted in the decay of huge quantities of fish estimated at tens of millions which have been dumped into the sea,” said Ali Muhaidir, a Hodeidah Fishing Union officer.

Many buyers were surprised that the law is only implemented in Hodeidah and not in other areas of the country.

“We pay some 10% taxes on sales to the Ministry of Finance until the issue was to be settled with the officials in Sana'a. We was stunned to find that the committees are levying taxes with unstamped vouchers from buyers,” they said.

They added, “We went on a one-week strike last month and fish rotted causing the loss of millions of riyals. It is a disaster. We threw the decayed fish into the see.”

Concerning the role of the Fishing Corporation, they pointed out that it doesn't protect them from the government.

“Fishermen are plundered by the neighboring countries and are plundered at the local market. They are prohibited to take the fish out of the port until the buyers pay the tax.”:

On the other hand, Ibrahim Hassan Mawqidi, Manager of Hodeidah Fishing Corporation told the media that the 50-riyal vouchers are remitted to the Ministry of Finance's account at the Central Bank of Yemen. They are fees and not a tax and levied according to the Prime Minister's Decree No. 233 of the year 2004, he said.

“We have not heard that it is implemented in other provinces. They say it is going to be implemented in Aden. However, we are required to implement the State's orders,” he added.

“The strike is continuing and what we can do is to mitigate things. As a result of these fees, the boats will move to other fishing centers especially if this Decree is not going to be implemented in other provinces,” he concluded.
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