On June 30, 2024, according to the auditor’s report on its half-yearly accounts, the Société Tunisienne des Marchés de Gros (SOTUMAG) owned 42 cold stores. However, instead of being used for their primary purpose, these chambers were rented out as packaging boxes.
However, the reconciliation work revealed the absence of some fully depreciated equipment belonging to the cold rooms, such as a condenser with two fans, 12 motor compressors, a liquid tank, 42 covers, an electrical cabinet, three water tanks and 14 fans.
Where has all this equipment gone and why doesn’t SOTUMAG use it for the purposes for which it was created by this company that manages the largest public utility market?
The auditors say that they are unable to give an opinion on this missing equipment, no doubt due to a lack of information from the management of the company, whose profits have a direct impact on the cost of living of Tunisian consumers through the charges levied on everything that passes through this market.
Similarly, no information was provided to the auditors on the item “pharmacies and laboratories under contract”, which shows a credit balance of 108,681 dinars at June 30, 20024, but which includes several unjustified balances, particularly for pharmacies.
More than 20 years after the confiscation, SOTUMAG still before the courts
The company is continuing to take the necessary legal steps to recover the debts owed to it by three sales agents who are among those affected by the confiscation procedure provided for by Decree-Law No 2011-13 of March 14, 2011 on the confiscation of assets and movable and immovable property. These claims amount to TND 909,175, of which TND 851,251 has not been recorded and is therefore not covered by provisions.
What is the status of the waste treatment and recycling facility?
In 2010, the company started work on the construction of a waste treatment and recycling facility. However, this work, which was capitalised at a value of TND 2,899,416, has been suspended and the plant has not yet been put into operation.
The investment grant of TND 1,946,500 received by the company from the Ministry of the Environment and other bodies under its authority is included in equity and has not yet been amortised.
On December 3, 2019, following a request to the President of the Court of First Instance, a legal expert was appointed to carry out a diagnosis of the current state of this station. The expert’s report will be submitted during the financial year 2020.
On November 13, 2020, SOTUMAG notified the legal representative of the company in charge of the project that it was terminating the contract and asked to take possession of the station. SOTUMAG issued an order for payment and filed an appeal with the Administrative Court to annul the termination decision.
On February 24, 2022, the Ben Arous Court of First Instance issued a commercial judgment challenging the payment order requested by the company in charge of the project.
The company was notified of this ruling on June 14, 2022 and the case was referred to the Court of Appeal.
Following the report sent by the CEO on June 30, 2022, the Governor of Ben Arous ordered the company in charge of the project to leave the land belonging to SOTUMAG and illegally occupied by it. This decision was enforced on July 4, 2022 and SOTUMAG definitively reclaimed the station.
The Executive Board considers that the costs of this project will be recovered by the economic benefits expected from its operation.
