BERBERA — President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo embarked on his first trip to the Gulf on Thursday morning to seek investment and greater ties with the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. During the week-long tour, the President and his delegation of five ministers will visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE and will later go to Kuwait. He is visiting the region at the invitation of Emirati President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Somaliland officials will be meeting senior leaders in both countries as well as the captains of business and industry in the region. During his talks with the oil-rich Gulf heads of State, the President will discuss regional and international issues including security, development and trade. Somaliland will aggressively seek Arab investment in the fields of energy, livestock and fisheries and logistics while it will request funds for key infrastructure and projects. Local sources said the President and his delegation will receive the most high profile reception for a Somaliland leader. Previous visits to the region to UAE and Kuwait in 2008 and 2009 respectively former President, Dahir Riyale Kahin were low key. Both Kuwait and the UAE support development projects in the Horn of Africa nation including health clinics. The Emir of Kuwait recently completed a holiday villa worth $3 million in the town of Sheikh, in Sahil region, for his family. The President will also take part in an international conference on maritime piracy in Dubai that is co-hosted by Dubai Ports World and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18th – 19th April. This conference according to Emirates News Agency (WAM) has already received considerable interest from the international community and will seek to be a vehicle for discussion and generate policy ideas to tackle what has become a growing menace to harmonious trade in the region. Dubai has signalled its willingness to become a driving force against piracy in an effort to restore maritime confidence in the region since it is a global hub for trade and commerce. DP World is one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, operating in more than 31 countries with over 50 terminals. The President will also meet with a Chinese company in Dubai to help Somaliland expand its deep-water port of Berbera as well as constructing the Berbera Corridor (Berbera-Addis Ababa) road. The project to be funded by the EU will cost over $5.3 million. The President will be accompanied on the trip by Mohamed Abdullahi Omar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdirisaq Khalif Ahmed, Minister of Trade, Industrialization and Tourism, Abdullahi Mohamed Dahir, Presidential spokesman, Hersi Ali H. Hassan, Chief of Cabinet and first lady Amina Sheik Mohamoud. They flew out this morning from the Red Sea town of Berbera on a private jet provided for them by the Government of Kuwait. Somaliland hopes that the trip will build important economic links and cooperation between Somaliland and the Arab world. Though originally opposed to Somaliland separating from Somalia, in recent times, Gulf nations are slowly accepting the reality on the ground. Somalilandpress | 14 April 2011

The 'Business' of International Aid What if Marriott paid hotel guests $50 per night, then bragged about its occupancy rates? By JONATHAN STARR What if Marriott operated without any revenue, room-rate or other meaningful customer-usage data from its individual hotels? Suppose it remitted money to cover salaries and other expenses, without knowing if any of it was producing a product for which customers were willing to pay. Imagine further that Marriott asked only for self-graded quarterly "report cards" from its managers, and that, as its only act of supervision, it simply audited its hotels' expenditures. You don't need to run a Fortune 500 company to know how quickly such a system would run amok. Absent accountability, managers and staff would have no incentive to provide a reasonable service. They'd have to be somewhat honorable to even bother showing up to work. In short order we'd find employees buying $10,000 worth of furniture for $20,000 and splitting the difference with the vendor. Come audit time: $20,000 expense item, $20,000 vendor receipt, "check and check, all looks clean here." If you think that no business would operate this way, then you're evidently not familiar with the "business" of international aid. International nongovernment organizations get their funding from governments and other donors, not the men, women and children they are supposed to be serving. Without revenue or other quality customer-satisfaction metrics, NGO executives and donors have no way of measuring whether employees on the ground are providing a product of value to their impoverished "customers." They then take a bad situation and make it completely unworkable by routinely paying beneficiaries to avail themselves of NGO services. Having bought their customers, NGOs send home reports about the great attendance that led to successfully training X-number of people on fishing/farming/water/waste/health. It would be as if Marriott paid guests $50 per night to stay in its hotels and then bragged about its occupancy rates. If the poorest people in the world require payment to take your services, what does that say about your services? Because NGOs lack the ultimate customer-feedback metric of revenue, one would expect them to achieve accountability through oversight by executives on the ground with operations in a single geographic market. Sticking to one geographic market makes sense on many levels since there are no economy-of-scale advantages to being a multinational NGO (no bulk purchases, no manufacturing, no branding advantage) and all kinds of diseconomies of scale (foremost the lack of accountability). So why do countless NGOs operate as multinationals in dozens of countries with their executives sited in Washington, New York, London, Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Geneva? The obvious answer is that like everyone else, these executives respond to incentives, and what works on the ground isn't what pays their salaries. John Smith, NGO administrator, maximizes his personal value by going multinational while staying proximate to his donors, never mind the damage that model inflicts on the poor communities he purports to serve. It doesn't have to be like this. A few years ago I quit a career in finance and dedicated 100% of my time to improving education in Somaliland, my uncle's home country. Happily ignorant of the aid industry's modus operandi, I designed the Somaliland non-profit organization, Abaarso Tech, to be run like a business with the Somali people as both shareholders and customers. I began with the precept that our employees' principal form of compensation would be pride in a worthy deed well done. Not only is generous pay unnecessary for success in development work, it is counterproductive. With low accountability, highly compensated individuals will choose the path of longest-term funding over good solutions (I suspect one case in point are NGOs in Haiti, which deploy money notoriously slowly). So I donated a large portion of my savings and promised not to take any salary. Having led by example, I was able to recruit like-minded individuals also willing to make financial sacrifices for equity in something special. Turn a deaf ear to the aid agencies that tell you they cannot recruit quality employees without compensation packages that are far larger than what they could make in the for-profit world; the pay is essentially tax-free and NGOs already cover virtually everything, including room and board and all kinds of paid vacations. In Abaarso Tech's short history our teachers have included Ivy League graduates, a Ph.D. in physics, a Ph.D. in chemistry and nearly 20 well-trained, native English-speaking American, Canadian or British teachers. Our $3,000 annual salary basically pays interest on their college loans with enough left over for the occasional can of Pringles. Our staff works 70-hour weeks because they are motivated by the mission's goal and feel ownership for its success. Managing a single geographic market with executives on the ground, highly efficient costs and properly motivated employees was a good start. But our nonprofit still needed to offer programs that the Somali people would value. Somaliland is one of the poorest nations in the world, but that doesn't mean Somalis won't scrape together what they have to buy something good. Just 20 months after landing here, Abaarso Tech has 100 students in its secondary boarding school, 100 in adult English classes, 20 in the undergraduate School of Finance, 50 in primary-school tutoring and 30 in the graduate business courses. Almost all of those 300 enrollees find a way to pay something towards their education. One of our top boarding-school students cannot afford much, but his family still brings us a bag of fruit each term as their way of saying "thank you." On the other extreme, we have a couple of wealthy British Somalis who left U.K. private school to join our boarding school at a tuition of $5,000 a year. Our program is a living repudiation of the notion that development beneficiaries need be paid to accept the services of their benefactors. Today, our program's net operating loss is approximately equivalent to the compensation package of a typical NGO worker. Which brings me to a second question for the taxpayers and donors who, over the past few years, have provided hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to Somaliland: Even accepting that our boarding school and finance program would have been too sophisticated for a typical development agency, why, after spending all that money and far more time on the ground, has no other NGO thought to provide native English-speaking teachers for adult English courses? We just started the program in January, charging $200 for three months of classes, and our phones won't stop ringing with Somalis who want to pay to learn proper English. This isn't brain surgery; it is just listening to what the customers are asking for and finding a way to provide it at a reasonable cost. It is exactly what Marriott does every day. Somalis are good people who could use well-spent aid money to rebuild their country from an awful civil war (which was in part caused and funded by Western food aid—see Michael Maren's 1997 book, "The Road to Hell"). However, until we take the perverse incentives out of the international NGO business, and only provide funding to those organizations whose executives are on the ground overseeing the otherwise unmanageable, the bulk of the money spent on international aid will, at best, be wasted. Mr. Starr is a former financial executive and co-founder and managing director of Abaarso Tech, based in the Maroodi Jeex region of Somaliland. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704425804576220524034207558.html

HARGEISA — President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo is expected to visit the Gulf nations of Kuwait and United Arab Emirates at their invitation sometime this week. According to sources close to the state, the Kuwaiti government has sent a private jet for the President and he will reportedly attend a series of meetings with senior ministers and business executives in the Gulf States. The government has not officially commented on the trip but official sources in Dubai told local media that the president will hold talks with Kuwait Energy Company (KEC), an independent oil & gas exploration and production company. KEC has already obtained concessions to explore and drill for oil and minerals in blocks originally granted to Chevron and Amoco by Siad Bare in the 1980s. The two American oil giants were forced to halt and withdraw from the country after the Somali National Movement (SNM) led by the current president overran Siad Bare’s forces. Early studies have shown that Somaliland has proven deposits of oil along the coast and the Golis mountain ranges. It also has extensive natural coal deposits (estimated at 5 billion tonnes) in the Daban Basin (southeast of Berbera), Guveneh Hills (north of Las Dureh) and Hed-Hed (south of Onkhor) Large quantities of titanium and zircon also exist. Kuwait funds and supports a number of development programs in Somaliland and recently announced it was providing $10 million to renovate both Hargeisa and Berbera airports. Kuwait also has plans to assist Somaliland in the areas of education and health. After Kuwait, the President will go on to Dubai where he will first meet with as yet undisclosed Chinese company and is expected to sign a deal for the development of the port of Berbera. In recent months, the Government of Ethiopia has been urging Hargeisa to speed up development for its deep-water port in Berbera so that it can transfer some of its commercial cargo there rather than having to use Djibouti. All of this comes ahead of plans to build a road dubbed the Berbera Corridor linking the port-town to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Work for the road is expected to begin mid-2012 and will cost an estimated $5.3 million which will be funded by the EU. The President will also take part in an international conference on maritime piracy in Dubai that is co-hosted by Dubai Ports World and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18th – 19th April. This conference according to Emirates News Agency (WAM) has already received considerable interest from the international community and will seek to be a vehicle for discussion and generate policy ideas to tackle what has become a growing menace to harmonious trade in the region. Dubai has signalled its willingness to become a driving force against piracy in an effort to restore maritime confidence in the region since it is a global hub for trade and commerce. DP world is one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, operating in more than 31 countries with over 50 terminals. All of these discussions and commercial activity is further proof if it were needed of Somaliland’s inexorable move towards being fully accepted and recognized as a sovereign state by the international community. Somaliland departed from Somalia after a union between the two Horn of Africa nations failed in 1991 following a bloody civil war.

Dahabshill CEO Abdirashid Duale Talks to Masters Students at Helsinki's 100-Year-old School of Economics LONDON (Africa Business) - Abdirashid Duale, CEO of Dahabshiil Group, was invited last week to address graduating masters students at Aalto University School of Economics in Helsinki - an internationally renowned institution for management education currently celebrating its centenary year. The two-hour talk took place on Tuesday 29 March as part of a course titled, Managing Innovation and Change, led by Professor Liisa Valikangas. Professor Valikangas, an experienced researcher and recognised expert in innovation and strategy, selected Dahabshiil as a model example of a business which has been quick to embrace new ideas, and which has overcome tremendous odds to realise the potential of the African market and build what is now a global brand. During the talk, Mr Duale discussed the importance of remittances to Somali communities worldwide, and outlined the role that Dahabshiil plays in getting funds to where they are most needed. He went on to discuss the history of the company, its plans for the future, and his role as CEO. Dahabshiil's core business is in the transfer of remittances to the Horn of Africa - a vital source of income for many in the region as Mr Duale explained at the start of his talk. The World Bank estimates that around $1.6 billion is remitted to Somalia each year by the country's global Diaspora. Dahabshiil handles around two thirds of this capital flow, making it the largest money transfer operator in Africa. Remittance income is an essential lifeline for communities in the Horn of Africa's most remote areas, and helps to bolster the funding of humanitarian organisations operating in the region. It also helps to support local development initiatives - a theme central to Dahabshiil's ethos from the company's earliest beginnings. Just as importantly, the flow of remittances also facilitates domestic and international trade, and has proved essential in enabling sustained investment in commercial projects and promoting vigorous private sector growth. Dahabshiil's early years, as Mr Duale told the diverse mix of students in the Toolo campus of the School of Economics, were far from easy. The company was founded in 1970 by his father, Mohamed Said Duale, and quickly specialised in the remittance of funds from migrant workers in the Middle East, bypassing strict foreign exchange controls through a system known as Franco Valuta (FV) which involved the import of goods, proceeds from the sale of which were paid to the migrants' families. By 1988 the civil war in Somalia was reaching its peak, and the Duale family were among the hundreds of thousands forced to flee to neighbouring Ethiopia. It was there that they rebuilt Dahabshiil from scratch. This not only meant a new location, but a complete change of customer base and stiff competition for business in a war-torn region with little or no political or legal framework. Twenty years on, Dahabshiil has a truly global presence and serves communities across the whole of East Africa. The Group has regional offices in London and Dubai, and thousands of agent and branch locations in 150 countries worldwide. Remittances still account for the bulk of Dahabshiil's business, but the company has diversified to offer a full range of financial services to its international customer base. Always quick to pinpoint new areas of growth, the company acquired a majority stake in SomTel, a Somali mobile network operator, in 2008. The telecoms industry in the Horn of Africa is highly competitive, a consequence of which has been the rapid growth of reliable and uniquely low-cost mobile networks. SomTel's expertise in mobile telecoms, mobile internet and high speed broadband have enabled Dahabshiil to launch a full mobile banking service in the region, and to continue to upgrade and expand its online payment systems. These systems are already known by customers as among the fastest in the business; remittance transfers in and out of Africa take minutes to clear regardless of where in the world the funds are sent or received. The SomTel acquisition is a logical next step for Dahabshiil, which introduced Somalia's first ever debit card, 'Dahabshiil eCash', in 2009. The service has already helped to reduce the drag on the economy arising from the need for large quantities of paper money for transactions in Somali shillings; the expansion of mobile banking will extend this benefit further. It is even anticipated by some observers that Somaliland will become the world's first cashless society. Mr Duale believes that financial services in Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to promise much in the way of new opportunities - as he declared towards the end of his talk, 'Africa is the future!' The region's role in the international financial system will grow, he said, as will the inward flow of remittances. As for Mr Duale, his role as CEO is to ensure that the Group continues to adapt to the changing environment through strategic investment and identification of growth markets, while maintaining its core business, easing poverty in rural areas and providing strong support to Somali communities, in Africa and around the world, through ongoing corporate social responsibility projects. Notes for Editors Dahabshiil is an international funds transfer company, and the largest African money transfer operator. The firm has its headquarters in London and operates from over 400 branches worldwide. Dahabshiil provides a broad range of financial services and invests in state-of-the-art technologies to offer SMS notification and 24 hour online transfers to its customer base. The company also employs specific technology to ensure maximum security, and to satisfy international protocols and procedures aimed at combating money laundering, terrorism, and other illegal usage. Professor Liisa Valikangas teaches innovation management at Aalto University in Finland. As President of Innovation Democracy Inc, a non-profit company she co-founded in 2006, she has a long-standing interest in innovation and entrepreneurship as a way to build better lives in fragile countries

Safiirka SL ee dalka Canada oo la kulmay madaxashirkada Orezone gold corporation Mr: Gregory Bowes o ah vp president ahna Chief Executive Officer Ee shirkada Orezone gold corporation iyo Nubian gold corporation oo laga leyahay dalka Canada. kulan kadhacay xafiiska Orezone, Ee dalka Canada dhanka Somaliland waxa ka socdey Safiirka Somaliland ee fadhigisu yahay Canada, Ambassador Mahamed O Ismael iyo xildhiban Husein Ege, shirkatana waxa uga qaybgalay Gregory Bowes. Mahamed aya warbixin kasiyay hawsha ay ka wado shikadani Somaliland. waxa hadal kii la waragay Xildhiban husein taso u warbaxin dheer o dhanwalba tabanayisa u kasiya shirkada haday noqoto horumarka,nabadgalyada,demuqradiyada ay gadhay Somaliland iyadon wax tagero ah ka helin calamka iyo sidi quruxda badnayid e ay u dhacday dorashade xildhiban Husein Ege aya hadalkisi ku daray in dawalada Somaliland Aad udanayinayso sidi ay shirkado calamiyi dalka u malgeshan lahayen. Gregory waxu ku bilabay hadalkisi Somaliland waxa egu guubabiyay inaan tago Mohamed iyo Tom oo si fiican iga dhadhiciyay Somaliland ilaa imikana waxan tagnay sadex goor run ahantii waxan ogadey iney yihiin rer Somaliland dad wanaangsan oo ixtiraam badan aduunyaduna ay indha ka qabsatay markaa waxan dawladii hore ee Rayale u balnqaday inan shirkadahayaga aan soo dajiyo Somaliland wasarada macdaanta iyo biyahana ku cawindono qalab iyo tababar, khayradka dalkinana aan idiin sosaridono si ad uga marantan hay adaha Waxan badhnay saaxil marodijex iyo awdal, dawlada cusubna wanu isaragnay wasiirka macdanta iyo biyaha ayanu ka wadahadalnay sidii hawshu use socunlahayd si ay shirkaduna u so dage lahyad Somaliland bisha Abriil 2011 ka xafiskina loga furilaha hargeisa. xagayagana way ka soo dhamatay dayaradihii iyo elokabtarkii aan ku badhaynay si aan u sameyno datda macdanta iyo hawlwadenadiba waa diyaar tas oo dhinacaan dawlada Somaliland lagasogayo inta hadhay. Husein ayaa wax kawayidiyay shaqalaha aad qoraneysan ma dibadad kakensanysan mise daka muwadiinta ah ayad qoranaysan, Gregory aya kaga jawabay inay 400 boqol ilaa 600 ee shaqale ahba 1 ama 2 aqondherada uleh hawshan moyane intakale ay ka qoranayan dadka Somalilander ka ah Husein Ege ayaa waxka wayidiyay dawladi hore inay wax lacaga uu siyay Gregory sidaad ugtahay Canada iyo shirkadaha Canadiankuba waa ka mamnooc sidaa darted melnaba laalush kumabixino

Global Enrichment Foundation and Abaarso Tech Announce Partnership to Enhance Female Education The Global Enrichment Foundation has announced an exciting new partnership that will take several steps forward in their quest to bring quality female education to Somalia. “When I became aware of Abaarso Tech five month ago, I recognized that it was a school the Global Enrichment Foundation would love to work with. The superior level of education that is offered to the students is in line with our goal of creating female leadership in Somalia. An institution with such a terrific early track record, despite operating in a tough environment, deserves as much help as we can offer. I look forward to expanding this relationship as our organizations continue to grow”, said Amanda Lindhout, Founder of Global Enrichment Foundation. In its first stage, the Global Enrichment Foundation will provide funding for the five brightest female students to attend Abaarso Tech’s world-class secondary school, and several more to study at Abaarso Tech University. In addition, the Global Enrichment Foundation will work to improve physical education for Abaarso Tech’s girls by sponsoring their athletic teams. “Abaarso Tech’s girls are proving that Somali females can compete with anyone in the world”, said Jonathan Starr, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Abaarso Tech. “We are so pleased that the Global Enrichment Foundation is playing its role in making our kids great.” Source: Canadian Somali Congress Jonathan Starr on the Waris show on Radio Hargeisa, talking about his school Abaarso-Tech Boarding School... Math and English teachers from Abaarso-Tech talking about the students

(London-HNW) Waxaa maanta ka dhacay caasimadda waddanka Ingiriiska ee London kulan taariikhi ah oo aan hore u dhex marin xukuumadda Somaliland iyo dawladda Ingiriiska. Kulankan ayaa wuxuu dhexmaray Waftigii seddexda wasiir ee ka socday xukuumadda Somaliland iyo laba wasiir oo ka tirsan xukuumadda Ingiriiska, sidoo kale waxaa goob joog ka ahaa agasimayaal, sherkado ganacsi, maal qabeeno iyo dadkaloo caan ah. Shirkan ayaa ka dhacay Huteelka wayn ee Marriot oo ku dhaw xarunta looga arrimoyo barlamaanka dawladda Ingiriiska ee magaalada London. Shir waynahan oo ay soo qaban qabaabisay wasaaradda arrimaha dibadda ee dawladda boqortooyada Ingiriisku waxaa ka soo qaybgalay xagga dawladda Britain laba wasiir oo ka tirsan xukkuamdda dawladda Ingiriiska iyo waftigii seddex wasiir ahaa ee ka socday dawladda Somaliland ku waas oo u hogaaminayay wasiirka Arrimaha Dibadda ee Somaliland. Shirkan oo si ballaadhan ay dawladda Ingiriisku ammaankiisa u ilaalinaysay una agaasintay, waxay ahayeen masuuliyiinta dawladda Ingiriiska ka socday ee shirka u matalaayay wasiirka wasaaradda arrimaha dibadda ee dawladda Ingiriiska u qaabilsan Afrika, Mr. Henry Bellingham, Iyo Wasiir ka socday wasaardda arrimaha mucaawinada dibadda iyo iskaashiga caalamiga ah ee dawladda Ingiriiska (DFID), Mr. Stephen O´Brien, Agaasinaka Wasarradda Arrimaga Dibadda ee Ingiriiska ee Afrika, Jonathan Allen, Agaasinaka Bariga iyo Badhtamaha Afriak ee Wasaaradda Arrimaha Dibadda, Marwo Sarah Tiffin, safiirro, maalqabeenno, iyo masuuliyiin tiro badan oo ka socday xukuumadda Ingiriiska. Dhinaca Somaliland waxay kala ahayeen masuuliyintii shirkan caalamiga ah uga qaybgalay waftigii seddexda wasiir ee Somaliland oo kala ah Wasiirka arrimaha dibadda, Dr. Maxamed Abdillaahi Cumar, Wasiirka Macdanta iyo biyaha, Eng. Xuseen Cabdi Ducaale iyo Wasiirka Qorshaynta Qaranka, Dr. Sacad Cali Shire. Waxaa kaloo goobta ku sugnaa Maxamed Yusuf oo ah ganacsade u dhashay Somaliland oo deggan Britain, iyo Safiirka Somaliland u fadhiya dalka Ingiriiska, Axmed Cumar Sangoore iyo waskiilaka Rugta Ganacsiga ee Somaliland ee UK, Abdikarin Cabdi Aadan. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development - Stephen O'Brien MP Waxaa ugu horayn kulanka khudbad dheer oo nuxurkeedu taabanaayay xaaladda siyaasadeed, nabadgalyo iyo dhaqaale ee Somaliland shirka ka soo jeediyay wasiir khaarijiga Somaliland, Dr. Maxamed Abdillaahi Cumar, oo si qoto dheer uga waramay baahida Somaliland u qabto maalgashi dhaqaale oo wayn si loo sameeyo fursado shaqooyin loogu abuuri karo dhallinyaradda Somaliland, laguna adkeeyo guulaha shacabka Somaliland ka soo hooyeen dhinacyada nabadgalayadda iyo dimuqraadiyadaba. Wuxuu ku ammaanay dawladda Ingiriiska taagerada dhaqaale ee ay u kordhisay Somaliland iyo wadashaqaynta tooska ah ee ay Britain markasta la garab taagan tahay shacabka nabada jecel ee Somaliland. Waxaa kaloo isna madasha hadal dheer ka jeediyay Wasiirka Qorshaynta Qaranka, Dr. Sacad Cali Shire, oo isaguna faah-faahin ka bixiyay xaaladda horumarineed iyo baahida xagga gargaarka ee Somaliland ay u baahantahay. Wuxuu wasiirku aad uga hadlay saxadda maalgashiga ee Somaliland iyo shuruucda iyo siyaassadda xukuumadda ee ku wajahan sidii maalgashi dibadeed loogu heli lahaa Somaliland, isagoo tilmaamay in shirkadaha caalamku ay gacan fiican ka heli doonaan dawladda Somaliland. Wasiirka Qoryashanta Qaranka. Dr. Sacad Cali Shire, Iyo Wasiirka Macdanta Iyo Biyayaha Somaliland Eng: Xuseen Cabdi Ducaale Oo Sharxaaya Maalgashiga Somaliland Waxaa isaguna ka hadlay shir waynaha wasiirka Macdanta iyo Biyaha ee Somaliland, Eng. Xuseen Cabdi Ducaale. Waxanu wasiirku si waafiya oo qoto dheer uga warbixiyay khayraadka dabiiciga ah ee illaahay ku manaystay Somaliland. Wuxuu wasiirku si ballaadhan uga hadlay khayraadka ay ka midka yihiin batroolka, gaaska iyo macadanaha laga helo dhulka hoostiisa oo u sheegay inay Somaliland ka buxaan. Waxaa kale oo u ka hadlay siyaasadda iyo sharciga ay Somaliland u marayso ka midhodhalinta soo saarka kharaadkaas iyo nidaamka dalku u marayo heshiisyada shirkada adduunka. Khudbadii wasiirada kadib waxaa isagu hadalka u baxay wasiirka wasaardda arimaha dibadda ee Ingiririska u qaabilsan Afrika, Mr. Henry Bellingham, wuxuuna sheegay siday dawladda Ingiriisku ula dhacsantahay horumarka iyo dimuquraadiyadda ka hanaqaaday Somaliland, yadoo ay wax kasta hoosta ka soo bilabeen, taas oo u ku tilmaamay mid tusaale u ah Somaalida kale iyo Afrikaba. Maalqabeenada Iyo Wasiirada Ka Socda Dawladda Ingiriiska ee Shirka Ka Qaybgalaayay Oo Si Muqaala Au U Tusayaan Wasiirada Somaliland Qaabka Sahlan Ee Loo Maalgashan Karo Somaliland Waxaa kaloo ka hadlay shirka Wasiir ka tirsana Wasaaradda Mucaawinada Dibadda iyo Iskaashiga ee Ingiriiska, Mudane Stephen O´Brien, wuxuuna ka waramay siday u laban laabeen deeqda ay siiso dawladda Ingiriisku Somaliland, taas oo ay uga danlahayeen in la dhiiri galiyo wax qabsiga iyo dawlad wanaaga ka hirgalay Somaliland, isla markaana ay Somaliland awoodo inay maal gashadaan sherkadaha iyo maal qabeenada waddanka Britain. Inta ka dib waxaa madasha ka dhacay doodo iyo iswaydaarsi wadatashiyo wasiiradda labada dawladood ee Somaliland iyo Ingirriska dhexmaray, waxayna ka hadleen sida ugu haboon ee Somaliland loo maal galin karo, iyo shuruucda loo maraayo. Arrintan ayaa ah talabadii ugu horeysay ee ay Somaliland u qaado xagga maalgashiga shisheeye, waxayse waxkasta ku xidhnaan donaan siday uga faa´ideysato dawladda Somaliland ee u hoggaaminaayo Madaxweyne Axmed Maxamed Maxamuud (Silaanyo) Waftiga wasirada ee ka socday Xukuumadda Somaliland ayaa lagu wadaa inay bari sii wadaan kulamada ay la leyihiin dawladda Ingiriiska.

Somaliland, the breakaway republic in northern Somalia, 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. Source: Bloomberg

By Sarah McGregor March 31 (Bloomberg) -- The central bank of Somaliland, a breakaway republic in northern Somalia, expects lawmakers to enact a draft banking law by June, enabling commercial lenders to extend credit to borrowers for the first time. Somaliland is in talks with Banque pour le Commerce et l’Industrie, based in neighboring Djibouti, and two other lenders to grant them banking licenses “right away,” Bank of Somaliland Governor Abdi Dirir Abdi said in an interview in the capital, Hargeisa, yesterday. The nation of 3.5 million people currently has no banks. “Once we see credit to small businesses then our economy will start to grow,” said Abdi, a 61-year-old former trade- financing expert with the Islamic Development Bank. “The presence of international banks will help us trade with the world.” Somaliland’s annual gross domestic product is estimated at $500 million, of which remittances from overseas workers represent about 80 percent, Abdi said. The remainder of the Horn of Africa nation’s economic output is mostly generated by the export of camels, cattle, sheep and goats to the Middle East and North Africa, he said. Abdi, who received his MBA from Northrop University in Los Angeles, was appointed governor six months ago by President Ahmed Silanyo, who came to power following a June 26 election. Somaliland is stable relative to its southern neighbor Somalia, where a civil war has been raging for the past two decades. Recognition Somaliland, a former British colony, declared independence in 1991, following the ouster of former Somali dictator Mohammed Siad Barre. No sovereign state has formally recognized the region as independent, posing concerns for potential funders who question whether their investments can be legally protected. “We have constraints of course because we’re not recognized as a state. The risk averse may not come to invest in Somaliland,” Abdi said. “We should be in a better position economically soon. Our democratic institutions and human rights record are strong, and we would like to see ourselves recognized as a state.” Legislators are also soon expected to approve legislation expanding the central bank’s role to include regular monetary operations including supervising lenders, accumulating foreign currency reserves and controlling inflation, Abdi said. “We expect the GDP to start growing,” he said, without providing a specific forecast. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-31/somaliland-s-central-bank-plans-to-grant-first-banking-licenses.html

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. SomalilandPress|30 March 29, 2011

Hargeysa (Somaliland.Org)- 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.” Cumar Maxamed Faarax Somaliland.Org/Hargeysa

Somalis and the reverence for age In that peaceful region of Somaliland, there exists a group of individuals venerated for their knowledge, experience, and just plain ability to outlive almost everyone else. In an earlier post, I wrote about one man reputed to have lived to the age of 135 years. While I cannot vouch for the authenticity of these claims, I do believe they are made in good faith. In Somaliland, I have witnessed many a sight of old people (meaning well over 70 years old) trudging along some stony path with nothing more than a teapot, a head wrap, and a bottle of water. The last time I was in Somaliland, I visited an area called Gacaan Libaax ("Lion's Paw") and was told the case of a venerable of about 75 years old who still makes the weekly walk to his family's village about 10 kilometers away and back in a single day. That's a 12 mile hike for someone who in another country would be either making monthly visits to their doctor, supine in front of a TV, or dead. Now, the photo of the man above is from my friend, Ahmed, who got it from another friend and claims that the individual is called, Hassan Faras, and is 120 years old. Again, another enigma lacking documentary proof. However, it is not an unusual story where the altitude is high, disease is low, and people get lots of exercise, eat healthily, and have low stress (excepting the occasional war). What I love about these stories is that in each case the individuals mentioned are still active participants in their communities and respected as elders. When was the last time you ever heard that term applied to old people in the west without being ironical? Dignity is also important. I remember how mortified I was when I first saw a 65 plus year old man bagging groceries for minimum wage at the supermarket in my home town. At least I know one corner of the world where old people are revered for what they know and not for what they banked. http://runningdogyankee.blogspot.com/

New Taxes introduced to Somaliland Multi Trade Tycoons Hargeisa(The Horn) The Minister of Finance of the republic of Somaliland Hon. Mohammed Hashi Elmi disclosed that his ministry has introduce new taxes, which he said were legal but were not collected from the merchants in the past. In a press conferencxe held in his office on Saturday, the minister stated that the government has stopped the 2% income tax that it used to take from the trader in advance for their goods upon arrival. He pointed out that the income tax will be collected from their businesses. He also emphasized that the traders will also pay the sales tax in which the traders will be charged from the benefit they accumulate from what they sell. Explaining the issue, the minister said, “the other thing I would like to talk about is tax that I have not been collecting of which we want to reach and the rich should know that the tax which has not been collec5ted in the past is obligatory which they owe us and we shall colloect them.” Pointing out the taxes, the minister said, “this includes, in the past there were importers and exporters and they sold their items at the customs and government tax and what was called sales tax were added but now the importer takes the good to his own wholesale shops and some of them have retail shops as well. Therfore the benefit that the people and the government are lost in this manner. Therefore we intend to take tax when the trader brings the goods into the country and also when he takes them to his shop, we take the sales tax as well. These are taxes that we have very right to take from the traders. We shall also collect income taxes from what they benefit from selling their goods.”

It's twenty years since Somaliland declared itself independent and since then it's not been recognised as a nation state. But, as Mary Harper discovers it's fairly comfortable with going it alone. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00ffsnt/Assignment_Somaliland_Going_it_Alone/

2011 Statement; From Abdirashid Duale, Dahabshiil Group CEO On behalf of Dahabshiill Group, I wish to extend to our valued customers, and to our staff and agents, our congratulations and greetings on the occasion of the successful end of 2010 and start of 2011 and Hijri Calendar Year of 1432. I am pleased to announce that 2010 was a successful year for Dahabshiil Group. In fact, Dahabshiil enterprises registered a record growth in 2010 while our business continued to expand and diversify in a number of areas in banking and remittances operations. We opened a number of outreach centers and started operations in countries where previously we had little presence. We also made considerable improvements in our existing Savings Deposit Account and Currency Exchange services. More importantly, we inaugurated Dahabshiil Bank International Bank (DBI) in Djibouti, and launched SOMTEL International services (GSM Operator). In 2010, DBI managed to successfully establish itself in the banking sector. To further strengthen its operations capacity and enhance services, DBI made substantial investments in a robust integrated core banking system. As a result, the bank will introduce, in 2011, more investment and tailor-made products for customers. DBI will also expand its reach and open satellite branches in a number of cities in the Region. Other major initiatives planned for 2011 include the launching of a new mobile banking service via SOMTEL that is directly linked to both, the Bank and the Remittance services, through our network of agents, branches and offices across the six continents. Also, we plan to improve our telecommunications business by enhancing the technical capacity of SOMTEL. Dahabshiil Group will continue supporting meaningful social development initiatives, especially in the education and health sectors, and provide emergency relief whenever possible. In this regard, Dahabshiil is prepared to partner with international and humanitarian organizations to collaborate on aid initiatives in areas of mutual interest. Lastly, I am pleased to stress that Dahabshiil will continue with its honor-bound tradition of providing safe, timely and efficient services to you, our valued customers, and, in this regard, we welcome, at all times, your suggestions and ideas. Thank you and best wishes for 2011. Abdirashid MS Duale DAHABSHIL BANK INTERNATIONAL DAHABSHIL Money Transfer DAHABSHIL SOMTEL

HARGEISA — It was a good news for 1,500 of Somaliland’s teachers thanks to the effort of Mrs. Samsam Abdi Adan, Minister of Education, they received two months worth of wages this week. During an interview with Hadhwanaagnews reporter Mustafe Abdi Mohamed on Wednesday, she said the issue was resolved after months of investigation and the teachers were pleased with the result. During her appointment, Samsam Adan promised to reform the education system and said the welfare of the teachers and their rights were her top priorities. Samsam noted that the payment was for the months of January and February of this year. She went on to say “for the last few nights I have not slept due to this issue and now that the teachers are paid I feel that I can sleep better”. It was two months ago when the government announced a salary increase for all civil services personal in the country, a promise that the new government made during the presidential election. They also introduced free education for all primary school students. Somalilandpress | 24 March 2011

Oil seep GUDUBI,Oodweyne ( waa saliid kasoo baxday dhulka hoose) Suldaanka waxa uu sidan ku sheegay waraysi uu siiyey shabakadan Oodweynenews.com,isaga oo tilmaamay in safarkoodaasi guud ahaan ku waajahnaa wefti uu hoogaaminayey ganacde Maxamed Yuusuf Cali Gurey oo hore sahamin shidaal ugu sameeyey degaano ka tirsan Gobolka Daadmadheedh, isla markaana ciid uu ka qaaday meelahaas lagu soo sameey baadhitaan lana caddeeyey inuu shidaal ku jiro, isaga oo ciid kale oo baadhitaan lagu soo samaynaya qaaday. ttp://oodweynenews.com/news/59357-suldaan-cabdiraxmaan-c-aw-good-oo-ka-xogwarmay-safar-ay-ku-tegeen-deegaanka-gobolka-daad-madheedh-ujeedadii-safarkaa.html