CAIRo: Members of the Damietta Chamber of Commerce have spoken out on the Agrium controversy after convening specifically to discuss the issue and sounded a warning that the more the crisis was prolonged, the more adverse the effect on tourism in the area. At a meeting attended by MPs, the chamber declared that as summer approaches, the crisis could cause a recession in Ras El Bar because of the detrimental effect the controversy will have on tourism. While not speaking against the construction of the nitrogen facility which has caused the stir, the chamber did laud the residents of Damietta for the manner in which they protested against the project. "I applaud the civility of the people of Damietta who maintained their self-restraint despite attempts to steer the cause in directions aiming to stifle their demands to close the plant, head of the chamber Mohammed Al Zini said. The local campaign which was organized to prevent the construction of the plant has taken a new tack as it takes its fight to cyberspace. A new website was created to highlight the opposition of Damietta residents to the plant, whose construction has been halted since April 21 until a decision is reached on whether or not to relocate it. The site, www.domyat.com, claims Agrium has already "destroyed 180 acres of land to construct the factory and will "destroy more land as construction continues. Despite intense local opposition to the project, the fact-finding committee commissioned by the People's Assembly to investigate the case of the Agrium plant has cleared the project of any impropriety. The committee's report concluded that there was no indication of any financial or administrative violations by either Agrium Egypt or the various government bodies involved in the project. It added that the environmental aspect of the project had been addressed appropriately and that the only point of contention was the plant's location. The committee had found no evidence of illegal commissions that some newspaper reports alleged were paid by the company to facilitate the procurement of the permits necessary to begin construction. Damietta residents remain opposed to the construction of the fertilizer plant on the outskirts of the popular tourist destination Ras El-Bar. Aside from the environmental concerns, there is also a concern over the impact on tourism in the area, which is a vital source of revenue.
