Tunisian politicians, intellectuals and journalists demand exemption of Algerians from border transit tax

A number of Tunisian intellectuals and politicians have urged the Tunisian government to consider the immediate lifting of the 30 Dinar land border transit tax, imposed on the Algerian vehicles, and called for clarifications regarding the Algerian-Tunisian relations, arguing that the latter are shrouded in mystery because of the curse of the interventionist policy waged by some countries in the region with the covert aim of stoking conflicts in the whole Maghreb region.

According to a statement issued by current and former deputies, lawyers, intellectuals and journalists in Tunisia of which “Echorouk” obtained a copy, the latter said they didn’t understand the reason for the insistence of the Tunisian government not to lift the land border transit tax on Algerian vehicles once and for all, despite the great uproar caused over this vexed issue in the past few weeks notably on the Algerian side.

These staunch opponents of the border tax policy  further urged their government to upgrade relationship with brotherly Algeria at all levels, through the removal of all what they described as “fuzzy” and demanded the return to the usual free mobility along the two borders, as well as to address certain malevolent foreign attempts aimed at steeping the Maghreb region into an atmosphere of tension and turmoil.