February 6, 2018 | Morning Headlines
The Government Needs US$60 Million To Print New Somali Currency Says Federal Finance Ministry
05 February – Source: Goobjoog News – 313 Words
The Somali federal ministry today announced that the government needs US$60 million, in order to print new Somali currency to replace the old dilapidated notes, currently circulating in the local markets. Speaking to the media, Finance Minister Abdirahman Duale Beyle noted the enormous task to produce new notes. “It is not a simple task to restore the currency of a country after losing it for a long time, though a lot have been done and now we are at the final stages” said Minister Beyle.
In order to realize the project, the government has resorted the assistance of the World Bank to meet the expenses. “We are working in collaboration with the World Bank and we agreed on the expenses to produce new currency. The problem is the printing work needs expenses around that is around US$ 40-50 million. The project is being worked on by the IMF, and in the coming months, the new currency will be printed” Minister Beyle said.
The minister also read out the monthly expenses the different government sectors needs including, the civil servants, the military and government operations. “We have monthly expenses of the civil servants which stand at US$6 million. The armed forces also need another US$6 million but, the government operations are higher around US$20 million” he said.
This is totally in sharp contrast to the monthly income received by the government through local taxation from the Mogadishu port and the Aden Abdulle airport according to the Minister Beyle. “In average, what we need monthly is US 20 million. What we actually get as an income is merely US$11million per month from the sea and air ports. Last year, the deficit was filled by friendly nations” lamented Minister Beyle. The minister also stated that last year the government has paid little amount of its foreign debt without incurring more debts.
Key Headlines
- The Government Needs US$60 Million To Print New Somali Currency Says Federal Finance Ministry (Goobjoog News)
- Fleeing Al-Shabaab Militants Arrived In Gedo Says Gedo Official (Jowhar.com)
- Jubbaland Opposition MP Resigns After 5 Days Detention By Madobe (Radio Dalsan)
- Canada Under Fire For Bid To Deport Somali Refugee (Al-Jazeera)
- Somalia’s President Farmajo Remains Popular (The East African)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Fleeing Al-Shabaab Militants Arrived In Gedo, Says Gedo Official
05 February – Source: Jowhar.com – 128 Words
Authorities in Gedo region confirmed that Al-Shabaab militants fleeing including senior members of the Al-Qaeda-linked group arrived in parts of the region. Gedo Deputy Commissioner for Security, Mr. Osman Nuur Haji, said many Al-Shabaab fighters who fled from the Jubba regions have sneaked into Gedo region.
The arrival of fleeing Al-Shabaab militants were reported in villages close to Garbaharey including Ceel Adde, Kabis, Caracas and Golweyn, added Haji. Al-Shabaab leader Mr. Ahmed Diriye is reportedly thought to be leading the fleeing Al-Shabaab members, who pitched tent in parts of the Gedo region. Mr. Haji said they informed the Federal government and its partners about the increasing Al-Shabaab arrivals in the region. In recent past weeks, there have been reports of Al-Shabaab fighters fleeing from increased U.S. airstrikes.
Jubbaland Opposition MP Resigns After 5 Days Detention By Madobe
05 February – Source: Radio Dalsan – 207 Words
A member of Somalia’s Jubbaland state parliament Mr. Ahmed Hassan Abdi “Taajir” Sunday night announced his resignation from the regions Parliament, according to reports. He was addressing his district constituents, “After I have seen recurring diverging opinions and disagreements and my detention on 30th of January, I want to make it clear that I step down for the people of Jubbaland and their development. I decided to resign from the post of representing the people of Afmadow, and also the general public of Jubbaland,” Mr. Hassan said at a press conference in Kismayu
“I will always work for the development of the people of Jubbaland and will be ready to work with them on positive things,” he added. Authorities released MP Ahmed Abdi Hassan Taajir on Sunday following a visit of the UK government in Somalia ambassador David Concar with Jubbaland President Ahmed Islam Madobe on Saturday.
MP Hassan who is also a British citizen had been stripped off his immunity by a Parliamentary committee, and a day later arrested for giving “false” information in his bid to table a vote of no confidence against Madobe’s cabinet. He had accused the cabinet of incompetence. Five opposition MPs fled Jubbaland in the wake of a clampdown on opposition.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Canada Under Fire For Bid To Deport Somali Refugee
05 February – Source: Al-Jazeera – Video: 2:41 Minutes
Canada is facing criticism from human rights groups for its attempts to deport a 24-year-old immigrant to Somalia. Abdoul Abdi was born in Saudi Arabia and he says he has no ties to Somalia, where there have been years of violence from the armed group Al-Shabaab. For now, the deportation is postponed while his lawyers ask a court to allow him to stay.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“His popularity, although briefly dented by the rendition of a Somali national to Ethiopia where he was wanted for terrorism charges, has not diminished. On the contrary it has increased as seen in his 16-day ‘peace trip’ to towns in Puntland and Galmudug states,”
Somalia’s President Farmajo Remains Popular
05 February – Source: The East African – 541 Words
Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” will mark his one year in office on February 8, celebrating a few successes that eluded his predecessor. Unlike his predecessor, President Farmajo has remained popular across clans, with observers saying having a prime minister for over 10 months is good for the continuity of government.
Sakariye Cismaan, a writer and political analyst based in Cadaado, Galmudug in Somalia, told The East African that the ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to secure debt relief for the country’s $5.3 billion external debt would be a major achievement for the president. “His popularity, although briefly dented by the rendition of a Somali national to Ethiopia where he was wanted for terrorism charges, has not diminished. On the contrary it has increased as seen in his 16-day ‘peace trip’ to towns in Puntland and Galmudug states,” said Mr Cismaan.
President Farmajo has made progress in breaking the Galmudug deadlock after Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama, based in Dhusomareb, made concessions to work with Mogadishu. He has also made efforts to reduce corruption, which was one of his main campaign slogans. He eliminated ghost workers and reduced wastage in the finance ministry. However, Liban Ahmad, a political commentator, said corruption will remain a major challenge until the country starts employing on merit rather than for regional balance. The unemployment rate for those aged 14 to 29 is at 67 percent.
Another major challenge for the president is getting donors and development partners to honour their pledges. During the Somalia International Conference in London in May last year, world leaders pledged $1.3 billion to support the new government and its security and economic reforms. He has to convince the international community to pump in more funds and investments that would enable Somalia to tackle challenges of insecurity, economic growth, corruption, constitutional reforms and strengthening regional federal states.
According to Mr Cismaan, apart from Turkey, which has implemented projects like building roads, hospitals, a new terminal at Aden Abdulle Airport and improving the Mogadishu Seaport, other development partners who made pledges at the London conference have been slow to deliver. The European Union the biggest donor for Somalia pledged to invest $1.03 billion this year, which will bring total support to $4.5 billion until 2020. This includes support for the African Union Mission for Somalia, salaries for police, development aid, and $596 million for humanitarian assistance to tackle the devastating effects of the drought.
The United Kingdom pledged $27 million to be spent over the next two years to be spent training and mentoring the country’s army and improving security. President Farmajo’s grand “National Security Architecture” suffered a major blow last October when a truck bomb exploded near market in Mogadishu, killing over 500 people. It was considered the biggest terrorist attack in the country’s history.
The National Security Architecture involves creating an 18,000-strong army and a 32,000-member police force to be trained and distributed across all federal member states. Another challenge for the president is achieving universal suffrage in 2021. The formation of federal states has gone on smoothly and the National Independent Electoral Commission is travelling across the country educating the public about the elections and preparing the local electoral commissions.