Shabwa oil workers suspend crude oil shipments to Aden power plant amid wage dispute
SHABWA, June 22 (YPA) – Workers at the Al-Uqlah oil field in Yemen’s Shabwa province announced the suspension of crude oil shipments to the PetroMasila power plant in Aden, which is under the control of the Saudi-backed government, starting from Tuesday.
They said the suspension of fuel transport comes in protest over the failure of the Finance Ministry in the Saudi-backed government to disburse their entitlements, despite what they described as explicit instructions for payment from the state budget.
The workers said the decision comes in protest against the failure of the Finance Ministry in the Saudi-backed government to pay outstanding wages and benefits, despite what they described as clear directives authorizing payment from the state budget.
In a statement, the oil sector’s labor union committee said workers had previously transported around four million barrels of crude oil estimated at $313 million, to meet the fuel requirements of power generation facilities in Aden.
Aden is expected to enter a new service crisis due to the suspension of crude oil supplies to the power plant, as rising summer temperatures persist and living conditions continue to deteriorate sharply.
Amid an escalating energy crisis, informed sources in Yemen’s eastern province of Mahra said the Shahan border crossing with Oman is experiencing severe trade disruptions following a sudden and unprecedented hike in customs duties on essential food imports, raising concerns over a sharp rise in prices across local markets that depend heavily on overland trade.
The sources added that customs duties on flour and cooking oil shipments have surged to record levels, with fees on eight truckloads of flour rising from 4 million Yemeni rials to more than 82 million rials, while charges on two truckloads of cooking oil increased from 12 million rials to 70 million rials in recent days.
This comes amid warnings from economists that the measures could have catastrophic repercussions for citizens’ purchasing power.
@E.Y.M