Somaliland Plans to Enforce Compliance on Tax, Double Revenue
By Sarah McGregor
March 31 (Bloomberg) — Somaliland may double revenue collection this year as it enforces tax compliance among the country’s 40 biggest businesses and richest individuals, the Finance Ministry said.
The autonomous region expects government income to total $100 million this year, even after the government slashed tax rates and abolished other levies, Vice Finance Minister Warsame Said Abdi told reporters in the capital, Hargeisa, yesterday. As of Jan. 1, payroll and sales taxes fell to 5 percent from 12 percent, while income taxes dropped to 10 percent from as much as 25 percent, Abdi said.
“Somaliland people aren’t tax-oriented,” he said. “What they give to the government is seen as a loss. We are trying to educate them. We’ll use it to build schools, hospitals.”
Somaliland, a former British colony, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the fall of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre. While no country has yet officially recognized its independence it has remained largely free of the clan warfare, kidnappings and assassinations that have plagued Somalia.
Somaliland’s government relies entirely on taxes for its budgetary expenses and is debt-free, Abdi said. Foreign assistance is not channeled through the government, he said.
The World Bank is helping to train tax officials and the United States’ aid agency this week agreed to build 10 state revenue centers across Somaliland, Hassan Jama Mohamed, the Finance Ministry’s public finance management coordinator, said in Hargeisa yesterday.
Revenue Loss
The loss of annual revenue from Telesom, the country’s biggest telecommunications operator, alone is about $25 million, because of authorities failing to enforce the domestic tax laws, according to Abdi.
“We haven’t had the capacity to do the auditing or enforce the existing laws,” Mohamed said.
The government is counting on improved revenue collection this year to pay for a doubling of salaries for civil servants, the police and military and a free primary-school education program introduced at the start of the year, he said.
–Editors: Paul Richardson, Karl Maier.
To contact the reporters on this story: Sarah McGregor in Hargeisa at or smcgregor5@bloomberg.net.
Minister Henry Bellingham with the President of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo and his delegation 24 November 2010
HARGEISA — Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Omar left for London on Tuesday for development, security and investment talks with the British government and investors.
Dr. Hussein Abdi Duale, Minister of Mining and Water Resources, Mr. Mohamoud Hashi Abdi, Minister of Aviation and Dr. Omar will sit down with officials from the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) on Thursday in London.
The discussion between the two sides will focus on issues such as security, stability, development, a devastating drought ravaging the region and investment according to official sources close to the government in Hargeisa.
The Somaliland government received an invitation from FCO to take part in a two-day trade and commerce conference that will be held in London this week. The conference is expected to draw British investors from both the public and private sector and will boost bilateral economic collaboration between the two nations.
This visit is part of an on-going efforts to build a closer working relationship between Somaliland and UK. It was three weeks ago when President Ahmed Silanyo received a British delegation consisting of Ambassador Norman Ling, British embassy in Addis Ababa, Tim Hitchens, Director for Africa at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Matt Woods, Deputy Secretary of the British embassy in Ethiopia. A week before that, Somaliland warmly welcomed six British investors for fact-finding mission and key talks with government officials (See British Investors Arrive in Somaliland).
The delegation will stopover in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to hold talks with key officials before they fly to UK. The unannounced trip comes days after official sources said President Ahmed Silanyo was due to fly to Washington next week to hold informal talks with U.S. officials on key issues. They added, he is expected to stopover in Addis Ababa to sign a crucial trade agreement that involves the port of Berbera with the government of Ethiopia and a Chinese firm. Dr. Omar recently returned back from Beijing but some citizens say a dark cloud of secrecy surrounds that trip since he did not reveal any information.
Britain is home to a large Somaliland Diaspora community that dates back to when Somaliland was a British Protectorate in the 19th century. The government of UK will provide $110 million in aids for Somaliland while helping to boost its security by funding its police, coastguards and other key security projects. They are also assisting Somaliland in seaport and airport securities.
Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mahamoud "Silanyo" with Unodc Executive Director Yury Fedotov
Hargeysa – Madaxweynaha Somaliland Md. Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud (Siilaanyo) ayaa saaka xarunta madaxtooyadda ku qaabilay Wefti ka socday Ha’yada UNDOC iyo saraakiil ka tirsan dawlada Seycheles, kuwaasi oo socdaal ku yimid dalka si ay u soo eegeen jeelka weyn ee Hargeysa oo dhawaan dib loo furay. Ka dib markii ay dhamaystirka dayactirkiisa maal gelisay Qarammadda midoobay.
Madaxweynaha Somaliland.Md. Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud (Siilaanyo) oo sheegay inuu weftigan ku soo dhaweynayo socdaalkoodan ay ku yimaadeen dalka.
“Somaliland waxay door weyn ka qaadanaysaa inay kala shaqeyso beesha caalamka xafiiska UNDOC iyo xafiisyada kaleba la dagaalanka budhcad badeedka. Waxaanu xabsiyada ku haynaa maxaabiis tiro badan oo falal budhcad badeednimo u xidhan,”ayuu yidhi Madaxweynaha Somaliland.
Dhinaca kale, Agaasimaha Ha’yada UNDOC Yury Fedotov oo ka hadlayay socdaalkiisa Somaliland wuxuu yidhi “Waxaan ku faraxsan nahay inaan indhahayga ku arko Jeelkan Hargeysa oo dhismihiisu yahay mid u qalma heerarka caalamiga ah. Waxaanu xukuumadda Somaliland ka caawin doonaa kor u qaadida hanaanka cadaaladda. Anagoo tababaro siin doona laamaha cadaaladda. Waynu ka warqabnaa in budhcad badeedku ay culays ku hayso gobolka (Mandaqada), waxaana muhiim ah inaynu wada jir wax uga qabano la dagaalanka Budhcad badeedka.”
“After received intelligence reports from neighboring Yemen, we were keeping truck of the pirates and today our naval forces managed to intercept them” Ator explained.”
The coast guards of Republic of Somaliland have seized at least six Somali pirates and their boat, according to Somali-language website Hadhwanaag.com.
The website said Thursday that Mohammed Yusuf “Ator,” chief of Somaliland coast guards in the Sanaag region, told reporters that the pirates were detained off Maydh, a coastal district about 90 kilometers east of the town of Erigabo, the regional capital of the Sanaag region
The official noted the pirates were armed with a variety of weapons including shoulder launched missiles, AK-47 assault rifles, hand grenades and other weapons in an attempt to hijack commercial ships and boats using Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden shipping lanes.
“After received intelligence reports from neighboring Yemen, we were keeping truck of the pirates and today our naval forces managed to intercept them,” Ator said at a press conference in Erigabo. The arrests were made about 4 p.m. Wednesday local time.
He said investigations are underway and that the pirates will be transferred to Hargeisa to face trial.
Lord Anderson of Swansea calls on the international community to recognise the autonomy of the Somaliland region of northern Somalia.
The wind of change is howling around the Arab world. Longstanding autocratic presidents are blown away; monarchs seek to make peace with their people by devising constitutions to limit their powers. In this turbulence there is one outstanding and depressing exception Somalia.
There has been anarchy in the country for some 20 years. The internationally recognised Transitional Federal Government controls but a small part of the territory; various warring clans exercise a form of authority elsewhere. An Islamist movement with links to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has rumoured links to the pirates who successfully create havoc among international shipping across an ever-wider swathe of sea.
Somaliland is the exception, the former British Protectorate with its capital Hargeisa, where the pirates are imprisoned a haven of stability which has recently held democratic elections. The country yearns for international recognition, having been de facto autonomous for many years.
The traditional argument against such recognition has been that of creating a precedent for other disaffected regions in Africa but now Eritrea has broken away from Ethiopia; South Sudan will shortly be independent and there is a spirit of radical constitutional change throughout the Arab world.
Somaliland wishes to join the Commonwealth; already its parliamentarians informally attend meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Surely, now is the time for the British government to revisit the issue and to encourage African members of the Commonwealth to press the African Union to work for international recognition of this remarkable democratic enclave within the classic failed state of Somalia.
Donald Anderson was Labour MP for Monmouth from 1966 until 1970 and for Swansea East from 1974 until 2005, when he was rasied to the peerage.
Pakistan to support Somaliland recognition – Letter
The following is a statement from Pakistan’s Adviser on Consular Affairs between Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Missions, Mr. Shafiq Ahmed Qureshi, calling on the new government to continue cooperation with the government of Pakistan.
Honorable His Excellency Ahmed M. Mahamoud Silanyo
President of the Republic of Somaliland.
I visited Republic of Somaliland in November 2009 on the invitation of the former President of the Republic of the Somaliland His Excellency Dahir Rayale Kahin. At that time I along with Deputy Secretary General of Pakistan ruling Government payed the visit as eye opening and facts finding. We stayed a couple of weeks and met all the cabinet members including Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, State Minister of Foregien Affairs , Minister of Interior, Governor General of Somaliland Bank.
During the meetings it was decided that we will first initiate the opening of Somaliland Trade Office in Islamabad Pakistan so that trade should start up by both brotherly Muslim countries. The former Government took bold step and extended their hospitality and promised about the future cooperation for the establishing of Somaliland Trade Office in Islambad Pakistan. It was decided that the Pakistan will play its role in recognizing the Republic of Somaliland in the second phase.
Since our visit I am working personally (from the side of Government of Somaliland) for the last 3 years (using my own resources and efforts) and carried out all the duties of introducing the importance of Somaliland and applied for the No Objection Certificate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan for which Alhamdulillah the Government of Pakistan finally acknolwedges the importance of the Opening of the Somaliland Trade Centre. Such a project require a lenghty procedure especially for a country which is not recognized that was the reason that it took so long time.
Now the , Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan is finally agreed about the opening of the Somaliland Trade Office in Islamabad Pakistan. And for this I already informed the New Government of the Republic of Somaliland. I therefore request the President of the Republic of Somaliland to allow to continue the project which was initiated by the former Government for the welfare and success of the Republic of Somaliland. I also look forward to visit Republic of Somaliland to explore/invest business opportunities from Pakistani elite business class.
And after opening of the Somaliland Trade Office we will work on the second agenda of Recognition of the Republic of Somaliland.
I therefore request the honorable President of the Republic of Somaliland in taking personal interest in opening of the Somaliland Trade Office in Pakistan which was initiated in 2009.
Koox ka Soo Goostay Ururka SSC Oo Loogu Soo Dhaweeyay Somaliland
Burco-Xoghayaha Arrimaha bulshada ee ururka nabad-diidka ah ee SSC Kayse Cabdi Yuusuf, oo ay weheliyeen xubin ka tirsan golaha dhexe ee ururkaasi iyo sodameeye qof oo kale oo ka mid ah maleeshiyada deegaanka Widh-widh ee gobolka Buuhoodle ayaa soo gaadhay magaalada Burco ee xarunta gobolka Tog-dheer ka dib markii ay ka goosteen kooxda nabad diidka ah isla markaana ka tanaasuleen falalka nabad gelyo darrada ah ee kooxdaasi ka waddo deegaanada Buuhoodle iyo Sool.
VIDEO: Koox ka Soo Goostay Ururka SSC Oo Loogu Soo Dhaweeyay Burco
Kooxdan soo goosatay waxa si diiran magaalada Burco ugu soo dhaweeyay maamulka gobolka Tog-dheer, waxaana la dejiyay guriga martida ee magaalada Burco. kooxdani waxay wateen afar baabuur oo midi tikniko yahay.
Tallaabadani waxay dhabar jab ku noqonaysaa kooxda SSC, iyadoo Xoghayaha arrimaha bulshada ee SSC Kayse Cabdi Yuusuf uu kooxdaasi ka ahaa xubin miisaan culus ku dhex lahaa oo ka mid ahaa qab qableyaashooda ugu caansan, waxaanu ka hawl geli jiray deegaanka Widh-widh oo uu dhalasho ahaan ka soo jeedo.
waxa kale oo uu Keyse Cabdi Yuusuf waxa uu hore ugu magacownaa badhasaabka gobolka Buuhoodle ee maamul goboleedka Puntland ee dalka Somalia.
sarkaalkan iyo waxgaradka weheliya ayaa la sheegay inay ajiibeen dalabadii Madaxweyne Axmed Siilaanyo ee dhinaca nabadgelyada, waxaana la filayaa inay ka qeyb qaataan shirarka nabadeynta ee la doonayo in lagu soo afjaro dagaaladii ka dhacay deegaanka Kalshaale ee khasaaraha dhimasho iyo dhaawacba geystay.
VIDEO: Koox ka Soo Goostay Ururka SSC Oo Loogu Soo Dhaweeyay Berbera Mar 17 2011
US State Department: former Somali colonel living in US can’t claim immunity in torture suit
By The Associated Press (CP)
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The U.S. Department of State says a former Somalia military colonel who lives in the state of Ohio shouldn’t be allowed to claim immunity from allegations he ordered the torture of a human rights advocate.
A lawsuit has accused the former colonel and Columbus resident, Abdi Aden Magan, of overseeing the detention and torture of a human rights advocate in Somalia in 1988.
The State Department says in a Tuesday letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office that Magan is a former official of a country with no government recognized by the United States.
The rights advocate and attorney suing Magan also say a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year in a related case shut the door on any immunity claim.
The following is a statement from Pakistan’s Adviser on Consular Affairs between Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Missions, Mr. Shafiq Ahmed Qureshi, calling on the new government to continue cooperation with the government of Pakistan.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The U.S. Department of State says a former Somalia military colonel who lives in the state of Ohio shouldn’t be allowed to claim immunity from allegations he ordered the torture of a human rights advocate.
Somaliland247's Blog 