Monday in the first hours, the activities were completely paralyzed at the Customs of Anse-à-Pitres by several dozen dealers "pepe" (used clothing) angry, who burned tires and erected a barricade of tree trunks blocking traffic in front of the customs offices.

The merchants denounced an extravagant increase in customs duties on imports of used clothing purchased in the Pedernales free zone in the Dominican Republic. They denounced the Haitian customs authorities which increased from 3,000 to 71,000 Gdes (+ 2300% increase) the customs tax payable on a mini-truck (about 7 boxes of "pèpè") goods purchased in the neighboring Republic at the price of about 40,000 gourdes.

According to Elie Nolasco, the president of the trade union "pèpè" in Anse-à-Pitres, this decision will put unemployed fathers and mothers who live from the trade of used clothes "How are we going to take care of our families when the customs authorities decide to raise taxes on the "pèpè" without taking into account the meager profits we make ?" adding that the protest movement will be maintained until the Haitian authorities come to reason on their decision.

According to unofficial sources, the Haitian customs authorities have accepted a truce on this taxation until further negotiations are conducted on the amount of customs fees on the importation of used clothing.

Note that this customs paralysis did not prevent the operation of the bi-weekly market Anse-à-Pitres / Pedernales.

SL/ HaitiLibre