The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) denies claims made in the Indian Ocean Newsletter issue 1455 (dated 21 July 2017) and published by www.africaintelligence.com.
The article, which is entitled “Struggling government sparks concern in West” is false in its assertions pertaining to the supposed statements made by the Somali Prime Minister in a meeting with three diplomats in Hargeisa where the integrity of key Somali businessmen and companies namely; Ahmed Yusuf of Hormuud Telcom Somalia, Abdirashid Ducale of Dahabshiil, and Mohamed Yusuf Ahmed of Salama Bank was discussed.
The FGS states that no such meeting to discuss the integrity and conduct of the above mentioned individuals and businesses took place. The FGS is concerned that the ill motivated article is aimed at undermining the valuable relationship between the business community and the government.
The FGS affirms that members of the Somali Businesses community have been supportive of the government’s effort to stabilize the country and continue to play a critical role in the development agenda.
The Federal Government of Somalia is committed to advance the cause of peace and prosperity in the country and to this end counts on responsible media. The FGS recognizes and is committed to protect the right to freedom of expression but at the same time cautions against publishing false and deliberately misleading information.
ENDS
Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism
media@moi.gov.so
Struggling government sparks concern in West
Somali president Mohamed Farrmajjo and his prime minister, Hassan Ali Khaire,
seem confronted by a whole range of complicated political and security dilemmas that
they didn’t initially expect to face.
Formed in February, the government still needs to hammer out a clear-headed strategy to fight the Islamist fundamentalist movement All Shabaab as well as to build the foundations of a nation with limited resources and a central government that’s still in the quest for legitimacy (ION 1450). And those challenges give rise to concern in the international community.
The West fears Mogadishu won’t be able to handle all the issues in one go. In a meeting in early July with officials from Britain, Norway and the European Union in Hargeisa, Khaire
admitted he found it highly complicated to fight against corruption and improve the
country’s tax receipts.
He pointed the finger at certain local businessmen who included Ahmed Mohamed Yussuff, boss of the Horrmuud telecommunications concern; Mohamed Yussuff Ahmed Allorre, chief of Salaam African Bank, and Abdirasshiid Dualle, manager of Dahabshiil.
He felt they were applying a brake to moves to beef up the government’s capacity because doing so would make the tax system more efficient. In his outburst, the prime minister claimed the businessmen paid more taxes to Al Shabaab than to Somalia’s federal government. He saw that as tacit backing for Al Shabaab which, in working to destabilize the government, prevented it from establishing the rule of law. That, in turn, allowed the tycoons to duck out of paying their due to the state.
https://www.africaintelligence.com/ION/corridors-of-power/2017/07/21/struggling-government-sparks-concern-in-west,108255576-GRA
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