Technical apparatus to supervise infrastructure projects [Archives:2005/905/Business & Economy]
Mahyoub Al-Kamali
In the upcoming period, the Yemeni government will create an independent institution to supervise contracts and tenders pertaining to implementing infrastructure and service projects. At its Dec. 15-19 general conference in Aden, Yemen's ruling party approved establishing this organization, stating the aim is to affect development in infrastructure and service sectors and create qualitative transfer between them.
This question of tenders has impeded the flow of much assistance and grants to Yemen; nevertheless, the country seems to be more in need of realizing advancements in air, sea and overland transport. These necessary advancements come in response to the need to link remote Yemeni areas by building a developed domestic and international network of roads, thereby promoting Yemen's policy of openness pursued since the early 1990s. For this reason, Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh proposed at the 7th general conference of the People's General Congress establishing an independent technical apparatus to supervise such projects with the objective to activate performance in economic activity. Throughout the 1990s and until 2004, Yemen spent more than YR50 billion to modernize the transportation sector, especially its infrastructure, to be more efficient and guarantee safety for passengers and security of shipped goods. Despite positive results in air freight in the past five years due to a government project known as the National Plan for Civil Aviation, in which the government used large investments to rehabilitate its airports to conform to international standards and specifications, this sector still requires much advancement due to Yemen's vital significance in linking trade movement with the world. The importance of continued efforts in this sector follows establishment of Sana'a Aviation Region, approved by the navigational committee for the Middle East, which includes Yemeni political borders, the Arabian Sea region and the Indian Ocean until 60 degrees east.
In order to meet regional aviation requirements, Yemen still is in dire need of moving ahead in qualifying its international airports and building more airports in major cities. Presently, Yemen's airports total 14, six of which are international and located in Sana'a, Aden, Taiz, Al-Rayan, Mukalla and Hudeidah, and eight local airports in the cities of Sayoun, Ataq, Al-Ghaidha, Mareb, Al-Baqa, Al-Baydha, Saada and Socotra. Nowadays, several projects are being directed to implement development and modernization. One such project is modernizing Sana'a International Airport, which seeks to transfer the airport from its present location away from construction to an area spacious enough to allow building modern airport facilities in conformity with international specifications. Meanwhile, efforts continue to qualify Aden International Airport and renovate its buildings to improve services and organize passenger movement. The work includes rehabilitating the airport terminal to accommodate one an a half million passengers annually, as done at Taiz and Hudeidah airports. Efforts in this sector include the government's building of the high-quality Socotra International Airport to receive all types of large airplanes. Although the government has spent approximately YR60 billion to modernize its air fleet, it must comprehensively rebuild its national air fleet enabling Yemenia Airways planes to meet international terms, as the fleet's planes cannot fly in European and American airspace.
As for sea transportation, Yemen's status as a sea state doubles as its coasts extend for more than 2,500km with seaports spread throughout. Owing to this significance, Yemen is seeking to increase investments in this field. In 1999, Yemen inaugurated the Aden port project, which included building a new port for gigantic containers in an effort to regain the port's distinguished position in international maritime navigation. A new port opened at Salif in 1997 to receive large vessels and help ease traffic in Hudeidah port. A causeway was built on Socotra Island to facilitate conveying foodstuffs and consumer goods to island inhabitants until completion of a modern and complete port. However, due to an increasing number of private local and foreign companies working in navigational agencies, transporting goods and supplying ships, a need emerges to organize this sector and attract specialized local and foreign firms to manage sea transport activity and repair and maintain ships. In this regard, agreements were signed with a number of Arab and friendly countries to study establishing joint companies for sea transport.
Rehabilitating existing ports and adopting an open policy in sea transport has led to increased growth in maritime movement. The number of ships and oil tankers anchoring in Yemeni ports has increased steadily in recent years.
On the other hand, overland transport is severely backward and needs rehabilitating as it hinders internal marketing. After witnessing infrastructure development, the government recently moved toward building a developed land network under a new open economic policy implemented through the 1995 structural reform program. The new system liberated overland goods transport from the policy of monopoly, leading to the emergence of 22 land transport companies thereby increasing employment and decreasing fees for goods transport by an average of 40 percent. These measures also contributed to encouraging the private sector and achieving a tangible change reflected in the increase of transport vehicles. Overland transport activity also enables Yemen to combine agreements regarding transit transport and the unified Arab traffic book. The two agreements facilitate and organize goods transfer and travel of individuals. They also enhance the volume of trade cooperation and exchange between Yemen and other Arab countries.
There are major prospects for infrastructure development in these fields, especially following approval for establishing an independent technical apparatus to follow up progress in implementing development and service projects. These projects often are exposed to plunder and confiscation by certain types of mafia specialized in stealing and plundering people's property and the public sector. The proposed new apparatus would be composed of the private sector, representatives of independent personalities and organizations with power to follow up projects and fight corruption.
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