Hebron – Maan correspondent – Importers and merchants said on Tuesday that hundreds of containers loaded with basic food commodities and other goods have been in Israeli ports, especially the port of Ashdod, for about three weeks, and they have been unable to take them out of the ports due to the war on the Gaza Strip.
In order to help them, the head of the Plastic Industries Union and member of the Hebron Chamber administration, Kamel Al-Zeer Al-Husseini, accompanied by the economic advisor and member of the Hebron Chamber, visited the Directorate of Value Added Tax and Excise in Hebron and met with its director, Bilal Ashour, and visited the directorate in Dura and met with its director, Hatem Bali.
Al-Husseini said after the two meetings, “We exchanged views on many important issues in light of the war, including hundreds of containers detained in Israeli ports, filled with goods and basic foodstuffs that the citizen needs in these circumstances. We also talked about unloading our manufactured goods to the Israeli side.”
Al-Husseini added: “We called on representatives of the Ministry of Finance to assist importers and merchants by requesting from the other side and allowing the entry of seized containers as soon as possible.”
He continued, “We thank the managers in the value-added tax at the Ministry of Finance for their understanding of the demands of importers and merchants, as well as manufacturers.”
For his part, Hassouna said: “The continued detention of containers filled with basic goods and commodities, in Israeli port stores and warehouses, increases their cost, and thus increases their price for the citizen.”
Hassouna added: “The continued detention of containers, in these difficult circumstances that citizens and merchants alike are going through, will lead to negative results, including, for example, importers’ reluctance to import, and this will harm food security, which is currently required of the competent authorities in the Palestinian government.” Expedite the removal of containers from the ports, before the already deteriorating conditions deteriorate, and we reiterate the need for government representatives to act quickly to maintain food security.”
In a separate context, Al-Husseini and Hassouna held a meeting with the Director of the Traffic Department of the Hebron Police, Colonel Nasser Al-Shaabi, in the presence of businessman Munther Burhan Al-Jaabari, representing shop owners in the Ras Al-Joura area in Hebron, with the aim of discussing mechanisms for accelerating and facilitating traffic and ensuring its flow in the area due to the works that Carried out by the Hebron Municipality.
Source: Maan News Agency