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It has been more than fifteen years since the PFDJ through its various phony companies and enterprises started doing business in the foreign currency, gold, sugar, cement to name a few. All these enterprises have been doing this in an illegal manner and contrary to Inland Revenue and customs proclamations. The Red Sea Trading Corporation's (“09”) main objectives, other than trading in salt from Eritrea and Taf from Ethiopia was the trading in gold and foreign currency (USD). This illegal activity was one of the causes for starting the border war with Ethiopia. The PFDJ claims to be a front of the broad masses. This is a white lie. It only represents a narrow segment of opportunists, liars, power mongers. If it is a front, why does it prohibit demonstrations, free speech, free press etc etc? It is only because it is a gathering of illicit traders, contrabandists and money launderers. Because of this, it doesn't allow anyone to do any business in the foreign currency. As a result it imprisons and fines any one who has even one green dollar in his pocket. Not only these; the Red Sea Trading Corporation, doesn't pay its taxes inside Eritrea, and has a higher competing edge against other traders for the simple fact, they are at a disadvantage and the competition is not fair. Brigadier General Estifanos Seyoum now imprisoned at Eira Ero was bold enough to order the “09” to pay its taxes, but he was immediately deskilu [frozen]. The Himbol Forex enterprise is another business entity that is active in the cash transfer business without a license and without paying taxes. The US Government was smart enough to know the secret and sealed the office after freezing one million USD which was inside the building. But there are many Himbols in the world specially in Europe. It is high time that the governments of these nations stop these illegal businesses. An Embassy has no right to trade in foreign currency after all. And all these cash is for trampling on the rights of the Eritrean people. After all this, the Red Sea Trading Corporation is still an inefficient company and a new boss has come to review everything. Gedec’s Engineer Mekonnen, Segen’s Tesfai Goitom (Gurage), Lilo’s managers, and all civilian engineers who manage Mereb, Debay Sima, Wina are to be interviewed by this new consultant. It is to be remembered that many of the civilian engineers had been arrested for ‘corruption.’ After all this, what did Eritrea find? The bread shortage is now almost official. The Red Sea Sea mills that are distributors of the flour were saying that there is no shortage, but just corrupt traders; now they are saying there is shortage of grain.
This is the government that claims to represent the masses, while it detains people in underground rooms and infernal containers. Therefore, the imprisonment of around thirty people for hawala [currency transfer] is comparable to habal belya keyteqedimeki [a cross-eyed insulting another as a cross-eyed.] With the imprisonment of journalists and the traders Asmara is becoming more and more dangerous to live specially for the traders. The case of the traders is being handled by the office of the president but the sirhit hamushte [Fifth Operation Command] also has sealed the shops and offices of the traders. Everything is chaotic now.
Victory to the people
Down with PFDJ [The following article, submitted in Tigrigina, was translated by Awate. Notes in brackets and links were also added by Awate.] |
