HIBAPRESS
Local sources have revealed a growing activity of a lobby suspected of being involved in smuggling subsidized butane gas cylinders from the state towards Mauritania, through the Al-Karkarat border crossing.
According to available data, these cylinders, which benefit from significant government support estimated at about 78 dirhams per cylinder during the current period, have become a target for organized smuggling operations. It is likely that illegal parties are exploiting the price difference between the Moroccan and Mauritanian markets, where the cylinders are sold in Mauritania at prices higher than those in Morocco, but still less than local prices there, especially in light of the gas crisis and its rising cost. In this context, the "Sahrawi Post" website reported that a number of intermediaries, known locally as "smugglers", are active in transporting these cylinders across the border, benefiting from weak monitoring or possible collusion, which raises questions about the effectiveness of tracking and deterrent mechanisms. These developments come at a time when the state bears a large financial cost to support butane gas, as the total monthly expenses are estimated at about 600 million dirhams, which makes these practices a direct threat to public finances and the principle of directing support to those who deserve it.
