Minister of Transportation Says: Price hike shouldn’t monopolize [Archives:2005/863/Local News]
By Fahmia AL-Fotih
For the Yemen Times
After the new decision that the Yemeni Government took last week and brought about all the protests and demonstrations that took place in different governorates, which caused the horrific lose in lives and properties, thus, many merchants and vehicles owners started to exploit the situation and determine their own prices and oppress the poor citizen.
In this regard Eng. Omar AL-Amoudi, the minister of Transportation, revealed on yesterday Sunday 23 July in a press conference that was held in the ministry the new fees of the all the kinds of transportations and vehicles that are used for either for passengers or transferring goods.
During the press conference a ministerial decree was distributed and issued by the ministry of transports, ministry of Oil and Minerals and ministry of Industry and Commerce in which it shows the amount of fees increasing. The decree reveals that there is %38 increasing in the fees of the vehicles that carry basic commodities such as rice, wheat, sugar, flour.
The decree also points out that there is only %15 increase in the vehicles that take more than 36 passengers between cities. While the taxies and vehicles that carry less than 36 passengers between cities have to increase their fees to %23.
The decree also reveals all the fees for all the vehicles that are used inside the cities.
AL-Amoudi pointed out that the increase in the fees of transportation is as a result of increasing the price of the diesel and petroluem. “We have made slight increasing in the fees of the transports and we put maximum percentage and the vehicles owners should not go over it, yet, due to the market competition they have the choice to determine the price but below the percentage we have decided. The owners of the vehicles should not get scared or exaggerate the situation. We have removed the taxes on transports so they will keep gaining the same. We have specified the increasing and who is going to violate this increasing will be punished. No one should exploit the situation and in turn the poor citizens. We are ready to receive any violations and any comments. Price hike reflects on all.”
AL-Amoudi further said “Price hike is one of the amendment steps in Yemen and is to amend the national economy which has been suffering much, especially lately. I want to assure that the results of the new decision in increasing the prices are going to benefit all sides and will bring positive results.”
The minister assured that the new prices have been implemented in different governorates; yet, some governorates still protest and can not digest the idea of increasing the prices particularly of the basic commodities. The minister assured that there is coordination between the ministry and the governorates through the local councils and the situation will be controlled and the results will show that these amendments will go in the citizen's favor.
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