Merchants: The Houthis do not close our tax accounts
English - Thursday 30 January 2020 الساعة 09:10 am
aden,nesyemen
Several merchants complained of the Houthi militia, blackmailing them with tax, zakat, and donations, and contributing to supporting its military budget and opening old tax files for the past two decades.
One of the merchants told "Newsyemen", that the Houthi militia receives full and even more taxes from us, and refuses to close our annual tax accounts, which is a source of concern, where the militia will ask to receive the taxes again.
The food dealer, who requested anonymity, added that the Houthi militia refuses to close tax accounts, arguing that it does not trust the tax data and declarations provided by merchants, or that it claims that it will close the accounts at a later time, stressing that the Houthi militia does not close the accounts and leave the door open to blackmail.
The Houthi coup militia continues to blackmail and plunder the private sector, by illegal means, amending the tax and zakat laws, and opening tax traders' files for the past 18 years.
A employee of the Ministry of Finance, subject to the authority of the Houthi militia in Sana'a, reported that the tax resources of the Houthi militia amounted to "one and a half trillion rials" during 2019.
The source, who requested anonymity, added that the Houthi militia's tax resources increased by 50 percent during 2019, compared to the year before, as a result of the tax measures taken by the militia and the amendment of the zakat and tax laws.
The Houthi militia pursued a strategy of fiscal pressure on merchants, raised tax contributions, and forced merchants to pay illegal taxes for the past decades, which were reflected on citizens, by increasing food prices.
Since the Houthi militia’s coup against the state on September 21, 2014, residents of the capital, Sanaa, and the militia’s control areas have lived without salaries for more than three years, and various and varied economic crises.
Houthi militia has reaped tremendous wealth over the past five years from government institutions and their revenue sectors, from taxes, fees, customs, and levies, to confiscating money, collecting old debts, lost state funds, and practicing corruption with international and local relief organizations.
