The Federation of Businessmen in Melilla has expressed concern over the reopening of promised trade customs with Morocco, as the pace of the operation seems to fall behind schedule.
The union said, in a press release regarding the remote meeting that its representatives held with European Parliament member Jose Ramon Bauza, that they express their “concern” about the development of events around customs trade.
The same union added that the condemnation “is not only due to the absurdity of a pilot test last January, but also because after four years and several months of free trade, traffic across the land borders between the European Union and the privileged partner and signatory to the Euro-Mediterranean Treaty is still prohibited.”
The businessmen added that “at this time, foreigners, whether they are Spanish or from other European countries, who enter through the land borders of Melilla and Ceuta, are not allowed to take anything with them for their personal use or as a gift.”
In this regard, the concerned parties highlighted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ fear of potential smuggling of livelihood in the event of the immediate opening of customs “is meaningless, given that since last May only members of society and foreigners who hold a Schengen visa and about 600 cross-border workers have passed, and that the aforementioned movement of persons It has nothing to do with the transit of reliable commercial export shipments.”
Following the 12th session of the high-level Morocco-Spain meeting, a date for the reactivation of the commercial office of the “Bani Ansar” crossing has yet to be determined, in addition to the opening of the new office at the “Trakhal” crossing.
According to the joint statement issued after the end of the summit,Morocco and Spain agreed to “continue to move forward in an orderly manner, with full normalization of the movement of people and goods, including appropriate requirements for customs control and control of people on land and sea levels, taking into account the findings of the model test that was conducted.”
This was done last January 27, and the partner countries have continued this series of tests according to the agreed schedule to overcome all possible obstacles.
Retailers in the enclaves of the two cities accuse their officials and the government of “breaking the promise” they made, whether through delegates of the central government in the two cities or through the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares.
The official, after the 12th bilateral summit, assured the goods’ transit points will open soon.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.