A parliamentary report refutes the Brotherhood's allegations about the port of Qishn in Al-Mahra

English - Monday 06 February 2023 الساعة 08:13 am
Al-Mahra, NewsYemen, Private:

A parliamentary committee recommended making amendments to some articles of the concession contract for the construction of the Qishn port in Al-Mahra governorate, in a summary of a report it prepared for the Presidency of Parliament last Wednesday.

In the middle of last month, the parliament formed a committee comprising 5 of its members to investigate facts on a number of issues, including the Qishn port project.  Following an incitement campaign against the project launched by the Muslim Brotherhood and components and personalities in Al-Mahra Governorate, supported by the Omani regime, following the approval of the project by the government at a meeting in late December.

In a report it submitted to the Presidency of the Parliament, the committee indicated that it had held a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Transport in the capital, Aden, and that it had received a written response from the minister to its questions regarding the concession contract for the establishment, management and re-delivery of a seaport in Qishn.

The minister replied that the project contract is under the (B.O.T) system, which expires when it is handed over to the government after the end of the contract period, stressing that the provisions of the contract were based on the provisions of the constitution and the law, including calculating the port’s operation period as fifty years.

He explained that the text of Law No. (23) of 2013 regarding seaports did not restrict (B.O.T) contracts with any time restriction except that they are not “forever”, which makes determining the duration of contracts subject to the nature, size, activity and location of the project.

The minister touched on the economic feasibility of the project, the establishment of a seaport for the export of limestone, explaining that the revenues of the project during the 50 years for the state treasury could reach $100 million, in addition to providing about 5 thousand job opportunities.

The Parliamentary Committee made a number of observations and amendments to the provisions of the Qishn port contract agreement, on top of which is the granted concession period of 50 years, as it considered that it contradicts the provisions of Sea Ports Law No. 23 of 2013 , which determines the actual duration of the operation contract to not exceed 30 years.

The committee also presented conclusions confirming that the establishment of such a project in the Qishn region will contribute to the development and prosperity of the region, referring to the development phases of the agreement for future contracts to use the port for commercial purposes such as transporting goods, handling containers and supplying ships.

The parliamentary committee said that the local authority in the governorate is in line with the opinion of the Ministry of Transport and the government, considering that the project serves the local community in the Qishn district of Al-Mahra governorate and will have a positive impact on the social and economic level and the development of the region.

At the conclusion of its report, the committee recommended the Presidency of Parliament to address the government to act on the proposals submitted by it regarding amending some articles of the concession contract mentioned in this report in a way that serves the public interest.