Somaliland: The New Cabinet (Announced)

[Cowke]

Originally posted by Chief_Aaqil:

This is a joke. There already 26 Ministries and now instead of really reducing Ministries and Ministers to 15, he made the same as UDUB. And besides I thaught he was serieuz about including Sool and Sanaag people in to new administration, but this is a triangle party. Same old story, Nothing new.

I hear the ssc folks only got two ministers if thats true I don't blame silanyo for doing that after-all its only two subclans of ssc that actually are apart of somaliland the rest are not.

[NASSIR]

Adami is Maakhiri. What happened to Qoorseef from DamallaHagare/Erigavo District? I thought he would be reappointed.

[Cowke]

The number of wasiro a clan is given is what affect they have among somaliland. The makhiris/ssc have no effect in somaliland because majority 90% of their people and land are separate and distinct from somaliland that explains why silanyo doesnt bother giving them any more wasiro.

 

Thats reality to show u somaliland doesnt control nothing in cayn. Las anod only in sool. Half of erigavo.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

well done

[Cowke]

Caqil thats why i love garoweonline, it may be biased however I tell you one thing they damn tell you the truth on what the reality on the ground is.

 

The unrecognized separatist republic claims Sool and Sanaag regions, which are disputed with Puntland, a self-governing federal state that has never declared independence.

 

Somaliland's election did not take place in most of Sool and Sanaag regions, as Somaliland forces control a very limited area in these two regions.

That explains why ssc and makhir are given hardly anything in somaliland yet awdal is

 

Somaliland has little control in sanaag and sool thats the reality of the matter and the only place they do control is las anod in sool and half of erigavo.

[Chief_Aaqil]

Originally posted by Xaji_Xunjuf:

well done

Ofcourse you think that, 6 out of 20 Ministers are from your clan. 10 out of 20 are from Hargeysa city.

 

I see your cousin made the list as a Foreign Minister, wonder what his qualification is, besides doing a Phd from a Community College in uk. He has never worked in diplomacy, never worked for the UN, never been an Ambassador, hardly speaks English,doesnt speak any French. And he has to be the Diplomat for Somaliland. What a joke. Edna Aden had 30 years more experience in international circles. Cawil had more experience.

 

Was destroyed on Al Jazeera by the prof.Samatar. While the prof hardy used a sensible argument, would have easy for him to beat the old man.

 

So tell me, how this list is based on qualifications?

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

I don’t know what they mean when they say election of Somaliland did not take place in most of sool and sanaag both ceerigabo capital city of sanaag and laascanood the capital city of sool the elections took place. If that’s not most I don’t know what is

[Chief_Aaqil]

Cowke, actually the SSC and Maakhir did a bit better then previous goverment.

 

Maakhir is given the powerfull post of Defence where 60% of Somalilands budget is spend.

 

And SSC has the post of Fisheries and Ports, where all of Somaliland budget comes from.

 

And Also Commerce, Trade, Industries and Tourism(these used to be 3 diffrent Ministries)

 

So actually its much better then previous, when Maakhir had Sport and Youth and SSC had Rural Development.

[Jacaylbaro]

Adami is one of the few i like in this list ..... he will make a good minister there. I'm not a big fan of the said Gaboose, he will mess up for sure.

[NGONGE]

Wonder if they'll scrap the budget now!

 

Commentary On Somaliland's Budget 2010

 

On 27/04/2010, Somaliland Finance Minister, Mr. Hussein Ali Dualeh unveiled his last budget to the House of Representatives for approval. On 10/05/2010, The House of Representative approved budget 2010 ($61 million).

 

I must admit that $61 m is not much and even a triple of this amount would not have been enough to satisfy all our society’s wants and desires. This is not the point. Economics teaches us that we cannot have all we want of everything we want because our wants exceed our available resources. Unlimited wants competing for limited resources create the basic economic problem of scarcity.

 

 

However, the point is that the scarcity forces choice and we as a society faced with the problem of not having enough resources ($61 m) to provide for all wants and desires have to make choices about how to allocate our scarce resources in an attempt to satisfy our unlimited wants. This budget reflects the choices and priorities that our government has made. While it is true that a budget statement is essentially a list of projections, it is also very true that it is a vital economic policy instrument which reflects the choices and priorities the government has made to realise the country’s social and economic agenda.

 

 

Few will disagree that in economics and politics great intentions do not always lead to great results, and for that reason it behooves on citizens to be forceful in their duty of pointing out the priorities our government has made. That is why I would like to write this general commentary on Somaliland’s Budget 2010 as objectively as I can with the limited information available to me.

 

 

In the following section, I will run a general commentary on facts and figures I found interesting in the budget. The next section I will highlight what I believe to be issues deserving greater attention of Somalilanders. The final section I will focus on what are in my opinion that the new government should do.

 

 

Legislative Branch (Waaxda Sharcidejinta)

 

 

House of Representatives (1.8%) $1,092,510

House of Elders (1.7%) $1,014,770 $2,107,280

 

 

Judiciary Branch (Waaxda Garsoorka)

 

 

Supreme Court (0.3%) $185,732

Lower Court (1.2%) $707,227

 

 

Executive Branch (Waaxda Fullinta).

 

 

Residence of the President (Qasriga Madaxtooyada) (0.7%) $433,500

The Office of the Vice President (0.3%) $191,866

1. Ministry of Presidency* (3.6%) $2,199,260

2. Ministry Defense** (3.4%) $2,057,760

3. Ministry of Interior*** (3.7%) $2,279,743

4. Ministry of Education (4%) $2,438,955

5. Ministry of Health (2.4%) $1,463,968

6. Ministry of Finance (5%) $3,025,541

7. Ministry of Post and Telecommunication (1%) $556,000

8. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1.3%) $766,167

9. Ministry of Information, including National TV 0.8% ( 1.6% ) $965,231

10. Ministry of Trade (0.5%) $281,425

11. Ministry of Fisheries (0.4%) $244,000

12. Ministry of Agriculture (0.4%) $272,908

13. Ministry of Culture and Tourism (0.3%) $186,000

14. Ministry of Youth and Sports (0.36%) $220,000

15. Ministry of Relations with Houses of Parliament (0.09%) $52,388

16. Ministry of Water and Mineral Resources (0.4%) $252,135

17. Ministry of Industry (0.18%) $110,000

18. Ministry of Rural Development (0.4%) $266,925

19. Ministry of Justice***** (0.2%) $113,313

20. Ministry of Planning (0.5%) $296,353

21. Ministry of Civil Aviation (0.6%) $368,847

22. Ministry of Public Works (0.7%) $404,000

23. Ministry of Resettlement (0.2%) $152,000

24. Ministry of Livestock (0.4%) $266,442

25. Ministry of Religion (0.2%) $149,000

26. Ministry of Family and Social Affairs (0.17%) $108,540.

 

 

National Army (24%) $14,596,777

Presidential Guards (1.2%) $720,720

Prisons Guards (4.7%) $2,984,473

Coastal Guards (0.6%) $360,230

Police force (9%) $5,603,680

 

 

Other agencies:

 

 

Election Commission (4.4%) $2,704,000

Immigration Authority (0.8%) $508,948

Human Rights Committee (0.06%) $39,207

Law Review Commission (0.08%) $51,130

Audit Commission (0.5%) $293,161

AIDS Prevention Commission (0.1%) $63,248

Civil Service Authority (0.2%) $151,204

Genocide Investigation Commission (0.08%) $48,300

N.D.C Agency (0.2%) $98,341

Landmine Clearance (0.1%) $80,000

Contracts Commission (0.1%) $71,110

NERAD Agency (0.1%) $83,600

National Prosecution (0.2%) $142,342

Director General of Health Ministry’s staff (0.1%) $76,832

 

*Ministry of Presidency, Presidential Guards and the residence of the President (Qasriga Madaxtooyada) should come under the heading of:

The Executive Office of the President (5.5%) $3,353,480

 

 

** Army can come under the heading of Defense (27%) $16,654,537

*** Police & Coastal Guards should come under the heading of Interior Ministry (14%) $8,243,653

**** Prison Guards should come under the heading of Justice Ministry (5%) $3,097,786.

 

 

The inclusion of the following agencies’ income is good step into the right direction:

 

 

Hargeisa Water Agency, Electricity Agency, Port of Berbera but the following agencies are still missing from the budget: Lease rent of Berbera oil depot from Total, Roads Authority (Hay’ada waddooyinka) , National Printing Office and the Central Bank. Army has received an increase of (1.09%) and continues to get the lion’s share of the budget,

87,580,662,108 ($14,596,777), 1 dollar is 6,000 shilling. Our frontline soldiers deserve every dollar they receive and I HOPE every penny of their allocated budget reaches them.

 

 

The biggest winner is Ministry of Post and Telecommunication which has received an increased of 2.62% with a total budget of 3,336,099,200 ($556,000) , Interior Ministry has received an increase of (1.5%), Ministry of Education (1.1%), Ministry of Finance (1.1%), Ministry of Health (1.2%), National TV (1.8%) and House of Representatives (1.2%) Although, Ministry of Presidency’s expenditure has received a reduction of (0.81%),

Presidential Guards which now has a new heading has received a separate budget of 4,324,324,812 ($720,000). This amounts to an increase of 1,239,083,414 ($206,514) and not a reduction. If the Presidents Guards are from the National Army they should be on National Army’s payroll and their cost should be met from the army’s budget and if they are from the Police, then the police and the Interior Ministry should pay their costs.

 

 

It is a disgrace that Foreign Affairs Ministry which is responsible for recognition receives only 1.3%, almost the same money as the Presidential Guards. This means recognition is not a priority after all. Infrastructure (roads and airports) did not receive attention at all from the Minister and the ministries responsible for infrastructure (Ministry of Public Works & Civil Aviation) have a budget of 1.3% less than the budget of Ministry of Information which runs only Radio Hargeisa and the National TV. This is unacceptable in a situation where there are several more pressing needs and Somaliland’s infrastructure is totally non-existent.

 

 

Furthermore, 17 ministries receive less than 1% each, in other words only the salaries and expenses of ministries and their perks. This clearly shows that the government’s priority is to have as many ministers (wasiir reer habel) as possible from all clans/sub-clans in the government in order to get support from people and this budget which has no developmental goals at all reflects exactly that priority. Therefore the new government

should ditch this budget.

 

 

The Challenge for the Next Government

 

 

The new government must not shrink from the hard choices and challenges it confronts. To begin with, consolidating the existing 26 ministries into maximum 15 ministries will be a major pro-efficiency reform and will save us millions.

 

 

Minister’s wage: $500

 

 

Staff’s wage (secretary, assistant, driver etc) $300

Travel and fuel expenses $400

Ministerial Housing cost (rent, electricity, water) $500

Incidental expenses (dhacdhac) $500

Total (this a very conservative estimate) $2,200

 

 

I lost count the number of deputy ministers and state ministers. Let’s say that every ministry has either Deputy Minister or Minister for State (Wasiirul Dawle).

 

 

11 minister x $2,200 = $24,200 a month x 12 months = $290, 400

11 deputy ministers/state minister x $2000 a month x 12 months = $242,000 $532,400

22 ministerial cars: 22 x $5000= $110,000 $642,400 per year

 

 

The ballooning central government expenditure (wages & expenses of 26 ministers, their deputy ministers and state ministers, fuel, cars, stationary, electricity, water and furniture) is obvious for all to see. There is an urgent need to reduce the size of the government to smaller and more efficient number of cabinet portfolios such as the following:

 

 

(1) Foreign Affairs (2) Interior (3) Health & Employment (4) Education, Youth & Sports. (5) Justice (6) Trade & Industry (7) Defense (8) Agriculture, Livestock & Rural Development. (9) Finance (10) Media & Culture (11) Natural Resources & fisheries (12) Energy, Environment & Tourism (13) Public Works & Transportation (14) National Planning (15) Religion & Family Affairs.

 

 

Government functions which cannot be accommodated by these ministries can be delegated to executive government agencies. We also know where the real cost-saving can be made – the Executive Office of the President and the Ministry of Presidency as the budget of the

President is equivalent to the budget of 15 ministries including the productive sectors of the economy Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Rural Development and the ministry responsible for the infrastructure, Public Works Ministry. Therefore the cost of the President should be

cut by 30% in my opinion. (waxaynu u baahnahay Madaxweyne dadkiisa la hayn ah) When we make these savings we can think about increasing government’s receipts.

 

 

As the Minister has pointed out there are many loop holes which allow tax avoidance.

 

Somaliland lacks the administrative capacity to collect taxes particularly inland taxes (cashuuraha barriga) and there is no well-established legal framework that governs tax collections such as income and corporate taxes. The new Government faces the big challenge of developing a fair tax system in which every body pays his/her fair share of tax and the administrative capacity required to collect taxes.

Every dollar that is saved by trimming ministries and cutting expenses can be reinvested in the productive sector of the economy such as public services 20% (health, education, water and electricity) economic development 20% (agriculture, fisheries, Livestock and industry) and infrastructure 20% (roads and ports).

 

 

I hope that the new Finance Minister will not miss the opportunity to frontload the bold decisions needed to get Somaliland on a developmental path at the time when the new government enjoys its honeymoon.

 

 

Abdirahman Mohamed

abuabdul80@hotmail.com

 

London UK.

Source

[Qudhac]

the foreign minister looks lightweight..but overall it looks good..

 

ofcourse its not what what town they from its what they actually do in office.

[Cowke]

Chief, Silanyo knows the reality and it shows quite well in his ministry allocation. Sool and Sanaag ninyahow puntland ba ka taliso iyo hadaysan ka talin 6 wasir and 3 wasir ku xigeen iyo madaxweyne ku xigeen ma sin lahayn shacabka ssc put it that way.

 

Anyways sool iyo sanaag anigu kama doodayo anymore i just trust garoweonline because i know they speak facts even though they spin it as much as they possibly can to the garowe circle but they always remain factul.

 

As far as the debate on aljazeera lol that is why i am suprised that guy is going to represent somaliland in international scene lol. He was chewed up and spit out on al-jazeera. My boy elmi didnt even raise a sweat believe u havent seen hardcore fadhi ku dirir untill u seen bosaso and qardho cafe matches it considered one of the tougest and gruelling in the whole nation.

 

But I think elmi was going soft on the victim at hargeisa kinda like how americans go soft when they debate a jew about the holocaust lol.

[Chief_Aaqil]

Originally posted by Qudhac:

the foreign minister looks lightweight..but overall it looks good..

 

ofcourse its not what what town they from its what they actually do in office.

Indeed we have to see whow they do in office.

 

But I am just questioning the criteria that they have selected on. And unfortuantly most of them have been selected on loyalty for Kulmiye and clan, and not qualiifictions and experience like Silaanyo has promised.

[Chief_Aaqil]

And the new Minister for Education used to be a community organiser in Londen. I Dont expect too much from her either. There are many more qualified ladies in hargeysa, why on earth did he make her Minister?

[Chief_Aaqil]

But I do support Adami for Defence. He can cool things down in Sool and Sanaag.