Egyptians smoke 100bn cigarettes annually, says Eastern Company’s CEO

Egyptians smoke 100bn cigarettes annually, says Eastern Company’s CEO

AL-MUKALLA: The Iran-backed Houthis have slapped a 100 percent levy on items imported through government-controlled ports, the latest in a series of moves aimed at straining Yemen government finances.

The Houthi Ministry of Finance said that any products imported through Aden port and other government-controlled ports or land crossings will be subject to the same tax and customs fees as those imported through the port of Hodeidah when they pass through their checkpoints.

Traders will be required to pay the taxes in cash at Houthi checkpoints in Sanaa, Taiz and Al-Bayda in order to enter markets controlled by the militia.

In an effort to deplete Yemeni government finances, the Houthis launched drone strikes on oil facilities in the southern provinces of Shabwa and Hadramout, halting oil exports. The militia also banned gas imports from the government-controlled city of Marib and forced local traders to redirect their goods from Aden port to Hodeidah port.

The latest Houthi move means Yemeni businesses importing goods through Aden or Al-Mukalla ports in southern Yemen will be required to pay levies twice, once for the government and once for the Houthis.

Yemen’s Minister of Information, Muammar Al-Eryani, described the levy as a “new escalation” by the militia in order to strain