YPWatch, July 9 – A Parliamentary Committee approved raising the diesel price 100% from YR50/ liter to YR100/liter. The Committee provided the government with two options: (1) raising the diesel price to YR70/ liter for one year, and to solve the problem of power in the next year budget or (2) to reserve 50% of the increased amount and constitute a joint governmental- parliamentary committee to identify the expenses of this amount. After discussion with the government, it was decided to decrease the reserved amount to 20%.

The Parliamentary Committee called for obliging the government to finish the monopoly on land and air transportation for oil derivatives and to open competition through bids, as well as to reconsider contracts of entrepreneurs involved in smuggling oil derivatives abroad.

The Committee emphasized the need to reconsider the amounts of oil allocated to authorities and people. In addition, the Committee made reference to Al-Makha, the biggest port for smuggling oil abroad, which has allocated amounts of oil bigger than some governorates.

It was also agreed during the session to support farmers in cash, as well as to decrease fishers’ tax from 3% to 1%. Besides, the discussion came up with establishing a fund to support the fishery sector, separated from the Fishery Agricultural Fund, and to allocating the latter for agriculture.

MP Mohammed Al-Hazmi presented a memorandum signed by 46 MPs to the presidency of the Parliament in which they demand to the government to improve or replace the street cleaning system currently in place.