PM affirms concern of government to enhance human rights and freedoms

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba)-Prime Minister Ali Mujawar affirmed on Wednesday concern of
the government to boost human rights and freedoms in the country.

During his meeting with members of preparing the national report on human rights
condition in the country, Mujawar said that the government would work to enhance
human rights and freedoms in the country based on electoral platform of President
Ali Abdullah Saleh as well as international human rights agreements.
It is scheduled that the national report would be discussed next May during the
meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The report includes legal and structural aspects related to human rights in the
country and achievements in this regard since the unification, the members of the
committee said.
The Minister of Human Rights Huda al-Ban, the head of the committee said that the
committee adopted transparency in preparing the report to cover all aspects of human
rights in the country, adding that the ministry concerns to discuss the report with
several government and non government organizations to extend range of the
participation in preparing the report.
The minister pointed out that the report includes all aspects of human rights in and
needs of the country to enhance its efforts to speared awareness and training as
well as conducting studies on human rights.
Mujawar highlighted efforts of the committee in preparing the report that reflects
positive progress in domain of human rights in the country. He also pointed out to
the efforts of the government to resolve several human rights issues within
constitution and national principles.
AH










Republican decree establishing Military Housing Fund

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba) - President Ali Abdullah Saleh issued on Wednesday a decree
No. 04 for 2009 concerning the establishment of Military Housing Fund.
The Fund aims to provide the security and military forces' individuals with housing
units at cost prices and paid by installment system. The individuals can also get
loans from the Fund for housing purposes.
AF










Al-Arhabi confirms govt's interest to improve business environment

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba) - Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul
Karim al-Arhabi confirmed here on Wednesday the government's interest in continuing
the reforms aiming at improving the business environment in Yemen.
Opening a workshop addressing the new investment law draft prepared by the Foreign
Investment Office of the International Financial Corporation (IFC) in collaboration
with Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, al-Arhabi pointed out that
the reforms implemented for improving the investment law along with the income tax
law represent the backbone of the business environment reform in Yemen.
The reforms in such laws have been done in accordance with the best international
measures to contribute to making a qualitative movement in the investment potentials
in Yemen, al-Arhabi said.
Al-Arhabi stressed the significance of the financial and administrative independence
of the General Investment Authority (GIA) that would empower it to carry out its
vital tasks, noting that simplifying the procedures is one of the most important
reforms included in the new investment law.
Minister of Finance Numan al-Suhaybi said that the new investment law should include
strict rules restricting GIA's grants of exemptions in order not to be misused by
some investors.
For his part, GIA President Salah al-Attar assured that a ministerial committee was
formed to reformulate the investment law according to the recommendations of the
IFC's Foreign Investment Office.
The participants in the workshop confirmed the significance of determining the time
frame to cancel the current investment law and put the new one in force.
BA/AF












SCER, UNDP discuss International Electoral Support project

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba) - Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER) and
United Nation Developing Program (UNDP) reviewed here on Wednesday the arrangements
for implementing the International Electoral Support project amounting to € 3,7
million.
At the presence of the project's Director General Sharif Shaker and senior expert
Khadijah Miro¸ SCER's head Khaled al-Sharif and UNDP's Deputy Country Director Dina
Assaf reviewed the contents and programs of the project which aims to strengthen
SCER capacities in process of electoral awareness.
The meeting discussed the project's goals of supporting the legal and organizational
election frames and enabling the candidate women to participate in the Parliamentary
Elections as well as improving the capacities of the women general administration at
SCER.
The SCER head hailed cooperation and partnership between Yemen and UNDP in the
election areas, valuing all forms of electoral support provided by the friendly
countries and donor organizations through the program.
For her part, UNDP Deputy Country Director and the project officials paid a visit to
the Technical and Planning Affairs Sector to got acquainted with the process of
automated electronic inputting of the voters data and to the electoral registration
revise.
FJ/AF











Finance minister warns of increasing deficit up to 11%

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba)- Minister of Finance Noman al-Sohibi warned on Wednesday of
increasing a deficit of the 2009 state budget up to 11 percent due to ineffective
implementation for decision of decreasing expenditure.
In the opening session of the annual meeting for the directors of the ministry,
al-Sohibi affirmed importance of clarifying for employees that decision was taken to
reduce unimportant expenditures, not to target their rights.
He called on representatives of the ministry in different government bodies to help
directors of these bodies to re-organize their budget correctly.
The implementation of the decision during the previous period was unfair and
ineffective as employees receive 500 rails as overtime and subjected for deduction
of 50 percent in time there are employees who receive 700,000 rails as extra wages
and no deduction, the minister said.
He also pointed out to the reality of the national economy - within negative impacts
of the financial crisis- reflected negativity on the budget of the state, saying
that requires from officials of the ministry to collect revenues and follow up
shares of the government in any corporation.
The two-day meeting would discuss several papers over the economic developments in
the world due to the financial crisis and its impacts on implementation of the
country's budget as well as strategy of reforming financial administration.
AH











COCA investigates in 32 financial violation cases

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba)- Chairman of Central Organization of Control and Auditing
(COCA) Abdullah al-Sanafi said that the organization was investigating in 32 cases
of financial violations which have been discovered in the end of last year at sum of
more than half billion rials.
In his statement to 26sep.net, al-Sanafi said that the cases have been studied by
the organization, and the organization finalized initial investigations to prepare
files to send them to justice.
He pointed out to efforts of the organization to tackle several legal and structural
violations by developing the laws and financial and auditing systems, saying that
the organization is one of concerned bodies in combating corruption in the country.
AH











WNC appeals parties to nominate women in upcoming parliamentary elections

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba)- The Women National Committee appealed on Wednesday all
political parties and organizations in Yemen to support women issues at all levels,
coming on top the political empowerment of women and their right to be nominated for
the upcoming parliamentary elections.
In a statement issued by the WNC, the committed thanked all heads and secretary
generals of all political parties and organizations for their efforts exerted in
support for women issues.
"Since the unification of Yemen, there has been a great interest by the parties at
the local level to improve women issues and ensure their rights are fulfilled," the
statement reads.
The committee affirmed in the statement its commitment by the quota system and
presented a proposal within procedures to ensure a proportion of no less than 15% in
the Parliament as women representatives.
AM/AM







ASSECAA Financial bylaws Committee meetings resumed

SANA'A, Feb. 11(Saba) - The Committee of Administrative and Financial bylaws of the
Association Senates, Shura and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World
(ASSECAA) resumed here on Wednesday its meeting.
The meeting headed by deputy chairman of the Shura Council Mohsen al-Olofi dealt
with a report related to the financial bylaw, budget preparation and the general
rules of the expenditures and purchases in the light of what was adopted at the
third Conference of ASSECAA held in Sudan.
The committee's meeting was kicked off here on Tuesday and scheduled to be concluded
next Thursday.
FJ/AF






YR 1.271 trillion in Yemen export revenues in 2008

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba) - Yemen's exports in last year increased by 1.2 percent to YR
1.271 trillion, up from YR 1.56 trillion in 2007.
A statistic issued by the ministry of Industry and Trade, however, noted that the
imports fell in the year to YR 1.447 trillion, down from YR 1.693 trillion in 2007.
Bilateral trade between Yemen and the world also fell by 7.85 percent to YR 1.718
trillion in 2008 from YR 1.950 trillion in 2007.
According to the statistic, the trade balance deficit reached YR 175 billion,
compared to YR 427 billion in the previous year.
FR



Yemen, Croatia sign cooperation agreement of mine action

CAIRO, Feb. 11 (Saba)- Yemen and Croatia signed on Wednesday in Cairo capital of
Egypt an agreement of cooperation in field of deming.
Under the agreement, the Croatian side would offer modern equipment to Yemen to be
used for clearing regions from landmines and exchanging experiences and laws
associated wit Ottawa one nation agreement which banned use of landmines.
The agreement was signed by Director of the Executive Center of Demining Mansor
Al-Azi and Chairman of the Croatian National Mine Action Center of Demining.
AH












Yemeni-British project to excavate marine monuments

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba) - The General Authority for Museums and Antiquities has
revealed a Yemeni-British project is underway to excavate marine monuments.
The project would be implemented in cooperation between the authority and the
Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies of the British University of Exeter.
Head of the authority Abdullah Ba Wazeer said the project will involve excavations
at the ancient Islamic cities and ports along the Yemeni coasts.
The operations will raise marine monuments and drowned ships in the country's waters
and those mentioned in historical references.
A mission from the institute is currently visiting Yemen with the aim to familiarize
itself with the Yemeni coasts before the implementation of the project starts early
next year, Ba Wazeer said.
An agreement on the project would be signed by the authority and the university, he
said.
The authority is training Yemeni cadres at the drowning archeological unit set up
recently in diving as a prelude to the implementation of the project.
FR












50 Somali refugees arrive in Hadramout, Taiz coastlines

SANA'A, Feb. 11 (Saba) - Yemeni coasts in Governorates of Hadramout and Taiz have
received about 50 Somali refugees, the Interior Ministry has reported.
According to the Ministry's Information Center, 34 Somali refugees, including two
women, arrived few days ago at Borom coast of Hadramout governorate.
The security forces at the governorate have gathered the refugees
and
The refugees have been gathered and sent to the representative of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the temporary camp of Shabwa governorate to be
transported later to the main refugees' camp at Kharaz district of Lahj governorate.
Meanwhile, security forces in Taiz governorate have delivered, in cooperation with
Yemeni Red Crescent, about 16 Somalis, five of which were women, to the UNHCR's
representative in Kharaz camp.
On the other hand, Four Ethiopian have been arrested in al-Mudhafar district and
sent to the concerned security authorities for investigation due to illegal entrance
to the Yemeni territories.
MD/AF