The Acting President of the Southern Transitional Council, Ali Abdullah Al-Kathiri, issued a circular this evening, Thursday, requiring the cessation of illegal collection operations (levies) at points throughout Abyan Governorate.

This decision came after great popular and commercial pressure, as the levies imposed by the security and military points on the Abyan International Line had burdened merchants and citizens, and obstructed movement and trade.

According to the circular, the concerned authorities in Abyan Governorate, including the military and security units and the local authority, are obligated to abide by this decision, and to cooperate with the committee formed by the Presidency to verify its implementation.

The circular called on the concerned authorities in the governorate to cooperate with the committee and facilitate its tasks related to removing the violation points it identified according to its report submitted to the Presidency.

The circular stressed that the committee will continue its work in accordance with the decision of the Presidency to follow up to verify the implementation of everyone’s compliance with the directives, bring violators to account and evaluate the results, to begin the second phase, and circulate the results to the rest of the other governorates.