April 3, 2018 | Morning Headlines.
Somalia’s Ministry Of Finance Raises Over $42 Milion In Domestic Revenue In Three Months
02 April – Source: Halbeeg News – 244 Words
The Ministry of Finance of federal government of Somalia has marvelously succeeded to collect the highest revenues in a single quarter of a year, for the first time since 1990, when Somali central government was toppled. Abdirahman Beileh, the Minister of Finance said, the ministry raised millions of dollars in domestic revenues, following successful efforts to increase the sales taxes and other tax incomes.
The government launched system of tax collection campaign in 2018, as part of efforts to win billions of dollars to pay international debt relief. Mr. Beileh said, the revenue is up to historic levels, while reforms were also ongoing at a steady pace. “Held the High Level SMP Committee meeting @MofSomalia today with @AmbGamal, and his team from @MoPIED_Somalia Partnership, is central to our progress. We will & must build on our national progress together #Somalia,” Mr. Beileh said, in a twitter post. Adding “Honoured to have discussed fiscal progress with @SomaliPM @MofSomalia offices today. Revenue is up to historic levels for quarter 1 & reforms are ongoing at a steady pace. Much has been achieved & more will be going forward #Somalia.”
Recently, released European Union report, has commended the government’s work to raise revenue for the country to get debt relief. The report says, the government has so far collected 42.5 million in domestic revenue since the beginning of this year. EU noted that the amount is the highest revenue collection in a single quarter ever recorded in recent history.
According to the Ministry, the domestic revenue was up to $141 million in 2017 from $110 million in 2016 as some progress was made last year to improve the revenue. The tax agreements have been reached with airlines and telecom companies, and an income tax exemption for parliamentarians has been reversed last year, giving the government more revenue. The government is struggling to pay its external debt of about $5.2 billion, according to the IMF. Somalia has not made a service or amortization payment since civil war broke out more than 25 years ago.
Key Headlines
- Somalia’s Ministry Of Finance Raises Over $42 Million In Domestic Revenue In Three Months (Halbeeg News)
- Municipality Of Mogadishu Launches Automated Digital System For Public Transportation Service And Revenue Collection (Jowhar.com)
- Somali Army Officers Conclude Combat Engineering Training In Mogadishu (Goobjoog News)
- U.S. Says Conducts Air Strike In Somalia Killing Five Militants (Reuters)
- Somaliland Minister: ‘Somalia Can’t Interfere In Port Deal’ (Gulf News)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Municipality Of Mogadishu Launches Automated Digital System For Public Transportation Service And Revenue Collection
02 April – Source: Jowhar.com – 180 Words
Mogadishu Municipal authority has announced today that revenues collection from the public transport, will be handled through highly secure and automated digital tools as part of financial governance reform initiative. Mr. Hussein Mohamed Nor, the Deputy Mayor in Administration and Finance, introduced the importance of the new system and the implementation method to be functional.
He mentioned that the new system is expected to improve the public transport revenue collection process, by leveraging the latest mobile technologies to streamline the collection payment and enforcement process. At the launch session, the Mayor of Mogadishu, Eng. Abdirahman Omar Osman, underlined that his administration is committed to improve the financial management and process of revenue generating, and public service delivery to accomplish the vision for the city.
The Mayor strongly highlighted that they apply zero tolerance for corruption and wealth misuse in the daily operations by the municipality, whereby strict steps will be undertaken against any officers found guilty. Mogadishu municipal authority seems to prioritize institutional improvements to make sure quality service delivery and financing key infrastructure and developmental projects in the city.
Somali Army Officers Conclude Combat Engineering Training In Mogadishu
02 April – Source: Goobjoog News – 251 Words
Somali National Army soldiers drawn from the 32nd Engineering Battalion Saturday concluded a combat engineering course conducted by the EU Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S). EUTM-S said in statement the training which was the second aimed to build the capacity of the officers to effectively deal with the evolving security challenges in the country among them the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).
“Among others, they got the basic knowledge and skills on constructing obstacles for tactical maneuvers and setting up defensive positions,” EUTM-S said. “In addition, the training activity offered the participants the opportunity to understand the techniques of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) which still represent one of the most devastating and accessible weapon available to terrorists to inflict casualties to military personnel and Somali civilians as well.
The delivery of such a training is fully compliant with the EUTM-S 5th mandate where the shift of training from individuals to units was the main change from the 4th one. Additionally, such activities not only are directed to contribute to the SSR (Somali Security Reform) of Somalia but their particular “DUAL USE” concept represents another tool in the hands of the Somali Security Forces to increase protection and security of the civilian population.
The EUTM-S Mission Force Commander, BG Pietro Addis, the Chief of SNA Engineer Department, BG Omar Jama, the GDTC Commander, BG Mohamed Mohamud Saney and the Commander of the 32nd Eng. Battalion, Col. Ahmed Shire Warsame attended the closing ceremony at General Dhagabadan Training Camp in Mogadishu (GDTC).
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
U.S. Says Conducts Air Strike In Somalia, Killing Five Militants
02 April – Source: Reuters – 160 Words
The U.S. military said on Monday it had killed five militants after launching an airstrike in Somalia against al Shabaab, a militant Islamist group allied with al Qaeda. The military’s Africa Command (Africom) said the strike was carried out on April 1st near El Bur, a town in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Galmudug.
“We assess no civilians were killed in this air strike,” Africom said in a statement. Al Shabaab was not immediately reachable for comment. The United States has ramped up operations in the Horn of Africa country since last year after President Donald Trump loosened the rules of engagement. Since withdrawing from the capital Mogadishu in 2011, the insurgents lost control of most of Somalia’s cities and towns. But they retain a strong presence in regions outside the capital. On Sunday they battled with African Union troops for hours after exploding two car bombs outside one of their bases, according to Somali police and military.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The port provides jobs to 780 local people. And has clearly benefited the economy of the region; the construction sector has been given a fillip due to the planned expansions and improvements already made to the port.”
Somaliland Minister: ‘Somalia Can’t Interfere In Port Deal’
02 April – Source: Gulf News – 591 Words
Had you come a day earlier, you’d have seen us loading camels onto ships heading to the Middle East. Somalia as a whole has the world’s largest number of camels, at six million,” said Ali Esmail Mahmoud, Head of Operations at DP World Berbera, as he took visiting journalists on a tour of the port. “Since DP World took over the running of the port, there have been many changes,” Mahmoud said. “We’ve added a lot of equipment. We’ve ordered three mobile harbour cranes. Six reach stackers have been added, with three more on the way, along with empty container handlers, mobile cranes, internal terminal vehicles and forklifts.”
He also said the port was using a new software, Sodiaz, which is also used in many other DP World ports. “People were trained on the software outside the country, including in Thailand.” In 2016, the Somaliland parliament voted in favour of granting DP World, the world’s fourth biggest port operator, a 30-year concession with an automatic 10-year extension for the management and development of the port at Berbera, in a move not recognised by the Federal Republic of Somalia.
As per the deal, DP World will invest $442 million (Dh1.62 billion) in the port, controlling a 51 per cent stake in the project while the Somaliland government will control 30 per cent. As part of another deal announced last month, Ethiopia will become a 19 per cent stake holder in the port. That deal was also bitterly opposed by the Somali government in Mogadishu. Speaking to journalists, Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Dr Sa’ad Ali Shire said no one had the authority to interfere in a deal between Somaliland and DP World.
“This is an economic and commercial deal that will benefit everyone in the Horn of Africa region. Somalia’s claims are baseless, and don’t change anything on the ground.” Somaliland is a self-declared independent republic that is not recognised by the international community but has all the trappings of a state, including its own parliament, judiciary, currency and armed forces. It also holds elections that are seen as being free and fair, and issues its own passports. The government of the region sees Somaliland as the successor state to the colonial-era British Protectorate of Somaliland. Somaliland is also far more politically and economically stable than Somalia.
The port provides jobs to 780 local people. And has clearly benefited the economy of the region; the construction sector has been given a fillip due to the planned expansions and improvements already made to the port. “Land in the area is also going up in value,” Mahmoud said. “The infrastructure in the region is improving and many companies are coming here to do business.” The port’s annual capacity is 150,000 TEUs-twenty-foot equivalent units (container); 15 million MT (general cargo, bulk, ad break bulk); and 4 millions heads (livestock).
DP World Berbera also provides assistance to the tune of $4800 a month to the nearby Berbera Maritime and Fisheries Academy, which was established in 2012 and has graduated 85 students, including 12 women. The port has also donated $770,181 in the past 12 months to educational institutions, mosques and hospitals in the region and built five water wells for the community. Mahmoud added: “We are currently working on a three-phase basis: Phase zero, phase one, and phase two. As part of phase zero, we are developing the existing terminal. We’ve made many changes, including to infrastructure, electricity, training facilities etc. Phase one begins in five months, and is expected to be completed in 2020.”