Houthi Tax Abuse in Hodeidah Destroys Qat, Causes Severe Losses

Houthi-affiliated leaders' decision to increase tax fees on Qat vendors in the Bajil district of Hodeidah province has resulted in significant financial losses for farmers and traders, following the spoilage of large quantities of Qat held up at the "Bab Al-Naqah" checkpoint.

Local sources reported that the tax official in the Bab Al-Naqah area of Bajil district, identified as "Abu Mohammed," detained several Qat vendor vehicles under direct orders from the Director General of Taxes in the district, "Sadeq Al-Basha."

The sources clarified that the detention decision was made to pressure vendors into accepting a new tax rate, which increased the fees from 200 Yemeni Rials to 300 Yemeni Rials per kilogram without legal justification.

According to the same sources, the prolonged detention period under the sun caused the Qat loaded onto the detained vehicles to spoil, leading to its complete destruction and incurring millions of Rials in losses for the traders.

The affected Qat vendors and traders have issued an urgent appeal to the Houthi-controlled Tax Authority, demanding immediate intervention and the formation of an investigation committee to visit the site and ascertain the circumstances of the incident. The affected parties hold the tax officials in Bajil district fully legally and morally responsible for the damages incurred, demanding fair compensation for the losses resulting from the arbitrary and unlawful detention.