Economic Surveillance Team Seizes 7,150 Tons of Subsidized Oat Hay in La Manouba
La Presse - In a joint operation with security forces, the Regional Directorate of Commerce and Export Development in La Manouba has seized 7,150 tons of subsidized oat hay from a distribution center in the El Battan district for violating regulations on subsidies.
Surveillance Operation
This seizure is part of a regional surveillance program targeting storage facilities and distribution centers for oats and sorghum (strategic food items). The operation revealed that the owner of the center in question was deliberately selling quantities of subsidized oat hay through unofficial channels, preventing farmers from receiving their quotas.
Infraction to Regulation
According to the same authorities, a complaint will be filed against the perpetrator for violating regulations on subsidies by selling subsidized products in contravention of established procedures. Appropriate administrative sanctions will be applied, and the seized goods will be sold through legitimate distribution channels, with the proceeds going to the public treasury.
A Question of Impunity
This successful operation raises questions about the extent of the problem. How many other dishonest officials are still serving cartels that have allowed speculation to flourish in various sectors, blocking attempts to revive them? This confirms the concerns of many farmers, breeders, and other sectors that use subsidized products, who are discouraged and struggling to make ends meet due to such actions and manipulations.
The Smaller Producers are Penalized
Ultimately, it is the smaller producers, farmers, who are penalized. Meanwhile, the larger players are protected and served first. Others are forced to pay more for a small quantity, just to keep their activities afloat. At the end of this chain of malfeasance, we find people enriching themselves at the expense of those who work hard, consumers imploring the heavens for a miracle, agricultural products, a declining livestock, and officials who don't know where to start.
A Core of Traffickers and Protected Networks
At the heart of the problem is a core of traffickers and well-protected networks, shielded by a cloaking that can only be broken after a long, painstaking effort.
The Efforts of the Authorities
The relevant services have finally revealed the conclusions of their efforts, but they do not provide information on the financial, human, and material resources invested to achieve this seizure, which is the result of months of investigation and surveillance.
The Future of Livestock
How can we rebuild the cattle and sheep herds when such individuals block everything and take pleasure in the distress of consumers who are struggling to make ends meet during Ramadan, Aïd, or other festivals? The upcoming problems with Aleppo pine nuts (zgougou) and dried fruits are also a concern.
The Consequences of Impunity
This impunity encourages speculation, with far-reaching consequences for the country's economy. While we welcome this success, we must ask how many other such storage facilities are hidden away, serving the interests of speculation?
The Price of a Sheep
In recent days, we have seen the proliferation of sales points everywhere. Spaces are requisitioned by authority to impose incredible prices. We think of the millions of people who celebrated Aïd in Europe, for example. Did they requisition a corner of the Champs Elysées or the Opéra by force?
Controlled Sales Points
Here, the seller who buys sheep from the breeder is offered a sales space for free to sell his sheep at double or more the purchase price. The municipalities, owners of the spaces, will take care of cleaning up and removing waste.
A Question of Organization
Why not establish controlled sales points, where the consumer is protected, and transactions related to sacrificial animals are prohibited outside these points? This would prevent the mess and odors that invade public spaces and put an end to a trade that seems to be tolerated.
Who is in Control?
These distribution centers, like the one in El Battan, are accountable to whom? How is it that no one has noticed these malversations, despite the frequent complaints from small farmers and breeders about their difficulties in finding feed for their animals, poultry, etc.?
The Verdict is in the Fruit
In the era of information technology, how is it that no one has noticed what is recorded in the sales journal and the people or companies that have benefited from these forages, fertilizers, and other inputs? The worm is indeed in the fruit.
