Qat Tax in Taiz Sparks Military Controversy… Defense Minister Calls for Support to Confront Challenges
Yemen Monitor / Taiz / Exclusive:
In a step to regulate administrative and revenue affairs in Taiz governorate, Yemen’s Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri, issued urgent directives to halt violations committed by some units of the Taiz Military Axis regarding the qat tax. The Axis responded with full compliance, provided that the Ministry of Defense fulfills its role.
The Minister’s letter, numbered (127) and dated August 13, was addressed to the Commander of the Fourth Military Region, the Commander of the 22nd Mechanized Brigade, and the Commander of the Taiz Axis. It pointed to the continued seizure of qat tax revenues by some military units and stressed the need for immediate compliance with cabinet decisions, warning that failure to do so would result in full accountability for those in violation.
In a direct response, the leadership of the Taiz Military Axis issued an official statement dated August 13, confirming its full compliance with the Defense Minister’s directives. In its statement, signed by the Axis Commander and the commanders of affiliated brigades and units, the leadership expressed appreciation for the Minister’s attention to the Axis’ situation.
The Axis leadership highlighted the challenges faced by the military forces in Taiz and their more than 17,000 soldiers, including delayed salary payments. It noted: “The Axis does not receive support from central authorities except for limited food supplies that arrive sporadically and cover no more than 20% of the needs for the period. The same applies to fuel supplies. As for essential needs such as expenses, armament, maintenance, and housing, the Axis has not received its required allocations for a long time, which has negatively impacted the frontlines.”
The statement further pointed out that more than 17,000 officers, NCOs, and soldiers in the Axis are living under difficult conditions, while the support allocated to units does not exceed a monthly stipend of 100 Saudi riyals, an amount the leadership described as meager and insufficient to cover basic needs. This represents less than 10% of what their counterparts in neighboring frontlines receive.
The statement added: “The core mission of the Armed Forces in the Taiz Axis is carried out by fighters stationed along frontlines stretching more than 317 kilometers, where ten military brigades along with special-task and reserve battalions are deployed. These forces conduct defensive battles and carry out offensive operations against enemy positions.”
The leadership of the Taiz Axis reaffirmed its full commitment to its combat duties and national responsibilities, appealing to the Defense Minister and other government bodies to provide the necessary support to strengthen its combat capabilities and boost troop morale, stressing that “overcoming these challenges will allow the forces to dedicate themselves fully to their missions.”
The Taiz Axis declared its readiness “to place its non-negotiable essential needs in the hands of the local authority in Taiz governorate. At the same time, the Axis is fully prepared to oblige all its members to refrain from interfering in qat tax revenues. The Axis also authorizes the local authority to collect all revenues attributed to the army in Taiz—whether from gas, fuel, checkpoints, or other sources—on the condition that the local authority assumes its responsibility in providing the army’s essential needs, thereby enabling the army in Taiz to focus entirely on its combat missions.”
