Yemen increases salaries, fuel price
Yemen, Economics, 7/28/2001

The Yemeni government on Thursday took a new decision in the framework of price reforms it has been carrying out since 1995 at the supervision of the World Mank and the International Monetary Fund, aiming at dealing with the deteriorated economic conditions in the country. The new decision stated to increase the prices of diesel at 70% as from Thursday.

Simultaneously, the Yemeni government took another decision by which it increased salaries of the state's employees at 15% and salaries of the army and security men at 25%.

Since at 6 a.m. Morning on Thursday the diesel selling stations started to sell this material at the new price estimated at 17 Yemeni Riyals for one liter instead of 10. However no protest was registered for such an increase as used to be in the past when prices are increased.

This step came in the course of absorbing any reaction after the increase in the diesel price.

An official source said that the government has taken a decision aims at supporting the peasants, encouraging the agricultural and fishery production and the producing families. These include exempting all requirements of the agricultural sector from customs taxes; drawing the necessary legislation to allocate 50% of the budget of the fund of encouraging agricultural and fishery production for the budgets of the local authority, drawing an integrated system to marketing the Yemeni agricultural produce and finding out foreign and varied markets in the framework of commercial exchange between Yemen and its partners.

Sources at the Yemeni opposition indicated that several of the parties rallies in the opposition called its leaderships in the provinces for a meeting to study the new condition. Among these parties are the Yemeni Socialist Party; and the Naserite people's unionist organization, while the Yemeni coalition party for reforms is expected to start its campaign today ( Saturday) from the mosques.

Observers in Yemen said that the opposition forces will find out a new reason to counter the government by which is an economic case ( the increase in fuel price) which is of concern to the living conditions of citizens instead of the paper of the election law.

Several years ago Yemen carried out several pricing reforms. It increased the price of several oil by- products after lifting backing from these materials. The support was estimated at USD 600 million annually.

Previous Stories:
  Yemeni president ratifies two agreements on oil production   (7/10/2001)
  Yemeni- Iranian joint committee meets   (7/3/2001)
  Bajmal optimist over improving the Yemeni economy   (6/13/2001)

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