Royalties imposed on truck drivers rise extremely in Hadramout

HADRAMOUT, Feb. 13 (YPA) – One military point of the factions loyal to Saudi-led coalition has imposed huge financial fees on truck drivers on Al-Wadiah Road in Hadramout province, eastern Yemen.

Informed sources said on Tuesday, “Recruits of the pro-coalition factions at the weapons point imposed on trucks loaded with onion crops an amount of 2,500 Saudi riyals, equivalent to 1 million and 70 thousand Yemeni riyals at the currency rate in Aden, in exchange for crossing the point towards the border deposit with Saudi Arabia.”

The sources added that onion traders were subject to these illegal royalties after they suffered heavy losses as a result of the coalition government’s decision to prevent the export of Hadramout’s onions abroad last month.

The armed factions on Al-Wadiah Road detained approximately 500 trucks whose drivers refused to pay royalties and approximately 700 trucks loaded with onions after detaining them for more than a week following the government’s cancellation of the decision to ban exports, according to the sources.

YPA