Somaliland: Tax Dispute Leads to Closure of Sool Regional Commerce Office

Revenue collection in the Sool regional capital Las Anod is at a standstill.
This follows a dispute between business operators and the ministry of commerce regional coordinator that led to the Sool regional governor Yasin Mohamed Shide ordering closure of the ministry’s office.
According to the commerce ministry’s Sool regional coordinator Osman Suleiman Botaan doors to his offices have been shut down for the last four days and counting after local traders refused to comply with a new tax increase imposed by his bosses in Hargeisa.
Reports indicate that traders and service providers in the region and more so in Las Anod town refused to renew their business licenses due to the increase in charges thus prompting the Governor to intervene with the office shutting down
Governor Yasin M ShideAccordingly Governor Yasin Mohamed who sided with merchants as pertains payment of any incremental charges says that the regional commerce office shall remain closed until ministry headquarters in Hargeisa reverses the decision.
The closure of the Commerce office is a big blow to the central coffers as the ministry of finance accrues a lot of revenue from taxes collected by the office mostly from goods entering the country from Bosaso port in Puntland a regional administration of Somalia.