President Al-Zubaidi Convenes Special Cabinet Meeting

President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Vice Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Sovereign and Local Resources, presided over a special Cabinet meeting today, Thursday, in the capital Aden.

The meeting was dedicated to discussing a matrix of topics related to the daily suffering of citizens, with a focus on the power generation deficit in the electricity sector and possible urgent solutions to stabilize the service during the current phase, as well as the strategic plans that can be initiated to provide energy from less costly alternative sources and reduce reliance on diesel-powered stations, which cost the Treasury exorbitant amounts.

Furthermore, the meeting examined the problem of the deterioration of the local currency and its main causes, which are the decline of foreign currency revenues due to the suspension of oil and gas exports as a result of the targeting of export ports in Hadramaut and Shabwa by the Houthi terrorist militia.

In this regard, the meeting reviewed the urgent action plan submitted by the Ministry of Oil and Minerals to re-operate the Aden refinery, to start refining crude oil to meet the needs of the local market and power generation stations, and to reduce the large drain of hard currency in importing fuel and petroleum derivatives from abroad.

In the same context, the meeting reaffirmed its support for the decisions recently issued by the Central Bank and the directives of the Minister of Transport to quickly transfer the revenues of Yemenia Airlines to its accounts in the banks of the capital, Aden. These measures are expected to effectively contribute to stopping the drain of foreign currency from the liberated governorates to Houthi-controlled areas and to stopping the crucial funding relied upon by this militia in its terrorist practices.

The meeting urges the swift implementation of the presidential decree ordering the relocation of government bodies and institutions from Sana'a to the capital, Aden, prioritizing the relocation of the Social Welfare Fund (SWF), the Public Works and Highways, and the General Corporation for Roads and Bridges. The urgency stems from the concern that the continued presence of the legal, administrative, and financial centers of revenue-generating bodies and some funds under the control of the Houthi militia will enable them to seize the hard currency financial resources of these bodies and funds.

The meeting delved into the issue of delay in paying salaries, addressing the plight of forcibly dismissed and laid-off individuals, as well as the employment entitlements of graduates. President  Al-Zubaidi instructed the Minister of Finance to expedite the resolution of the situations faced by the dismissed and laid-off personnel, settle their employment status, and disburse their dues in accordance with the recommendations and solutions approved by the presidential committee. His excellency further directed the allocation of financial leverage to support the creation of 17,000 jobs, as approved by the relevant Cabinet orders.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Al-Zubaidi stressed the importance of quickly converting the proposed solutions into actionable programs as per streamlined implementation mechanisms that would circumvent complex bureaucratic procedures, which are deemed ill-suited to the current situation and the hardships faced by citizens.