DESPITE HARDSHIPS, YEMEN EXERTS EFFORTS TO BUILD ECONOMY

By: Mahmoud Assamiee

ADEN, Nov. 16 (Saba)- In efforts it exerts to revive its economy, Yemen held big investment conference in the port city of Aden last week.

Entitled Aden Investment and Economic Conference- Aden, Yemen's Gate to the World, the conference aimed at promoting investment investments in Aden governorate. The conference presented in two-day 11 work session investment opportunities across the governorate in fields industries, tourism, fisheries, free zones and infrastructure.

The conference aimed also at defining the greatest challenges facing investments in Aden, the free zone and the port as well as identifying a strategic vision to the zone.

Prime Minister Ali Mujawar re-affirmed government's readiness to provide all facilitations to investors across the Republic of Yemen.

He renewed his government's intention to enhance partnership wit the private sector to improve infrastructure, mainly electricity and water to attract investments.

"Many laws and measures have been issued to encourage investors and create good investment environment. This will make Aden witness a program full of investments in the light of the conference's outcomes," said Mujawar.

He highlighted great improvements Aden has witnessed during the past two decades in big service projects, roads and infrastructure as promising city enjoying geographical and natural characters, besides the city's trade history and qualified laborers.

"Aden has always been a rich historical city, an important international port and a free zone," said Sheikh Mohammad Ba-Mashmous, the Chairman of Aden Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

" Yemen depends on Aden and the free zones to revive national economy. Aden Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the governor demanded to hold this economic and investment conference because investment has become the main basis for development."

Improvements in Aden Port

Aden Port is being improved to provide basic services to ships coming to the country and to include as many containers as possible.

Chairman of Aden and Dubai Development Ports Company Abdullah Buqshan said his company is achieving progress in Aden Port despite difficulties and obstacles it faces like global financial crises, piracy and old equipments they inherited from the previous operator.

He said the company has expanded the area of containers to include 940,000 containers instead of 540,000 and set up the automatic machine system to operate the port (Aden port). This system will update the performance of the port and will organize the process of
the coming and going out containers.

Dubai a successful example Aden to imitate

One of the amazing sessions of the conference contained a review on the process of improving Dubai Port as an example Aden has to follow.

Manager of Dubai Ports Mohammad al-Mua'alem presented a review of Dubai city and how it has changed from small village of 60,000 people depending on fishing into a modern city of 2 million people.

The progress has started in 1977 by conducting environment study. The main reasons behind the success of Dubai, said Al-Mua'alem, were the strategic location, political stability, investment, future vision, planning, unique performance and continuous training.

But he said the main reason is the strong will of the President of the United Arab Emirates who does never believe in any thing called impossible. This leader always thinks how to improve his country and he argues his people to believe there is nothing called impossible.

He said UAE has four ports with Dubai as the first port in the world to use new system for containers.

Efforts to improve Aden Free Zone

In the fourth session of the conference which was chaired by Minister of Civil Services and Insurances Yahya al-Shuaibi, participants discussed success in Aden Port and Aden Free Zone.

Chairman of the Board of Gulf of Aden Port Corporation Mohammad bin Aifan reviewed the geographic nature of the port and the nearby international maritime routs as well as the port conditions during the twenty century and current situation.

Bin Aifan affirmed improvement in the port and future projects concerning expanding ports and deepening anchors to be able receive giant ships.

Piracy a challenge facing investments in Aden

Piracy was discussed in the fifth session of the conference as great concern as a challenge to investments in Aden.

Vice dean of Aden University's College of Law Abdul-Whab Shamsan presented a review on piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. He made it clear that piracy is one of big problems concerns all countries in the world because it hinders trade activities in important maritime trade route.

He talked about improvement in piracy and that pirates have now modern means. He said this needs international concern to fight piracy and issue a number of decisions regarding this purpose.

Meanwhile General Director of Yemeni Coast Guards Authority (YCGA) in the Gulf of Aden Sector Lutf Al-Barati talked about measures taken by the authority to fight piracy despite their humble capabilities.

But he said there is coordination between YCGA, the International Center for Combating Piracy and the Regional Center for Combating Piracy. He said Yemeni coast guards forces conducts patrols in eastern and western parts of Aden port.

Executive Director of Yemeni Oil Company Omer al-Arhabi talked about obstacles facing investments, piracy among them, and means of creating political stability to enhance the security in the region.

He talked about a ground pipeline project to fuel to avoid damages resulted by piracy. He said this project will provide 200,000 barrel of fuel to supply tankers and that the project will secure the process of fuel supply regularly.

Secured investment opportunities

Dr. Abdul-Galil Al-Shuaibi, the Chairman of Aden Free Zone (AFZ) said the zone has introduced a number of projects, some of these projects are related to saves industries and other industries.

The AFZ provides incentives to investors represented in tax exemptions, bringing laborers they want, 100 percent ownership of the land and free customs.

Concerning the basic services such as electricity, Al-Shuaibi said we are solving this issue ourselves without returning to government's initiatives, we have encouraged private sector to set up electricity plant to produce nearly 60 megawatt.

Regarding interests of investing in Aden Free Zone, Al-Shuaibi said the zone has received many offers from businessmen to invest in Aden in fields of industry.

Abdul-Karim Sha'ef, the Secretary General of Aden Local Council said all investment opportunities presented in the conference are free from land problems.

Encouraging recommendations

The recommendations focused on two points, law and infrastructure. The participants stressed on imposing the state's prestige, activating laws and treaties, committing to Aden's general design, solving land problems, working on improving banking system and establishing a stock markets.

The participants affirmed activating the role of trade courts and implementing contracts by law enforcement. They also affirmed establishing courts for real estates and encouraging insurances companies.

The recommendations affirmed importance of providing the energy needed to investment projects, working on preparing the industrial zones, allocating lands to investment and providing free lands to giant projects, in addition to giving a space to the private sector
to play its positive role to carry out projects.