Another Corruption Check & Good Governance by Minister, Zamzam Abdi Adan

The Somaliland Minister for Finance, Zamzam Abdi Adan, in a press conference in her office along with senior officials of the ministry, publicized today a new system of collecting the Vehicular Road Utilization tax, or what is known in the western countries as tag registration fee, levied on all cars and trucks on semiannual basis in Somaliland. In the old way, a paper certificate that can be easily tampered and copied was used which made the system unfair to all as hundreds of thousands were evading the tax payment. But rather, the new system taps into modern chip technologies and would be harder to be eluded. Chip-implanted cards would be issued once taxes are paid and the traffic police would be equipped with the chip detectors.

Adami's Harsh Words for House of Elders & Siilaanyo Gov. in an Interview with Star TV

Adami, a prominent Somaliland politician, frequent critic of Siilaanyo Adminstration, and former mayor of Hargeisa, Seat of Somaliland Republic, hails from defunct Udub Political Party and still holds on its emblem in all his suits. In an interview with the Star TV, he levels harsh criticism against the House of Elders and Somaliland Government in meddling the planning and preparations for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections by the Somaliland Electoral Commission, the sole constitutional authority entrusted in the management of such national interest.

Saving Somalia (Again)

In early May 2015, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a historic but little noticed visit to Somalia, a country no other U.S. secretary of state had ever visited. His trip symbolized both how far Somalia has come—from the blackest days of civil war, clan infighting, and famine in the 1990s; to the brutal rule of the jihadi group al Shabab in the late 2000s; to something getting closer to normal now—and how very far it still has to go.

The fact that a high U.S. official could enter the country at all speaks of real security improvements. During his visit, moreover, Kerry announced the reopening of a U.S. embassy in Somalia, which had been closed since 1991 when the government of long-term dictator Siad Barre collapsed. But the fact that Kerry’s visit was a brief few hours—during which he did not even leave the heavily-guarded Mogadishu airport—also points to deep and persistent security challenges. Read More