We Will Prioritize the Release of Prisoners and Social Movement in Eastern Sool, he says
By M.A. Egge
The President of the Republic of Somaliland, His Excellency Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, has said that the government is steadfastly working on the peace process, with focus on the release of prisoners captured during the unfortunate Las Anod war, and at the same time, towards the reopening of trade and social movements in the affected areas.
President Abdirahman Irro also noted that the government is committed to making greater efforts to strengthen the economy and ensure that development is balanced across all sectors of the economy.
The Head of State gave the facts on Tuesday as he addressed the opening of the two-day maiden Conference on the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises in the country in an historic speech; given that this is the first time the plight of such entrepreneurs has been highlighted at national level.
He made it clear that there are many challenges that cannot be underestimated facing the country’s middle and lower class entrepreneurs, mainly because of lack of access to financing and credit opportunities.
He noted that the business administration system and laws barriers sometimes act as inhibitions to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs’ development.
The President has directed the Ministry of Trade and Tourism and other trade-related agencies to increase public awareness, encouraging citizens to practically and technically develop a culture of investment and entrepreneurial creativity.
He said, “The government of “Togetherness and Action” is committed to making greater efforts to strengthen the economy and ensure that development is balanced across all sectors of the economy”.
He continued, “The country’s small and medium-sized businesses have made significant progress during the existence of this nation, and as the mayor said, they are the backbone of the Somaliland economy.
“They play a significant role in the sources of revenue from the national and local budgets.
“However, there are significant challenges facing middle and lower-class businesses, including access to financing and loans, which are difficult due to the country’s business administration system and laws that sometimes become restrictive; and the country’s markets, which are sometimes unstable, so many businesses fail easily”.
The President underpinned the fact that the government has made efforts to develop various businesses in the country.
He said, “As a government, we have come up with a three-pronged effort in which we want to strengthen small and medium-sized businesses in the country, and businesses can operate when there is peace, and as such we will continue our plans to strengthen the overall peace of the Republic of Somaliland and especially in the areas of the eastern Sool region of Somaliland”.
He made it clear that the government would give first priority the release of prisoners and the reopening of social and commercial movements.
Similarly, the President stated that the government would strengthen the free market to ensure open competition and encourage innovation.
He said, “We will strengthen the free market to achieve open competition, encourage innovation and exchange of ideas among all citizens. We are committed to eliminating any obstacles to investment and entrepreneurial creativity, while emphasizing the protection of property rights, so that citizens can be free to work.
“We believe that business is the path to development and prosperity of the country, so we will review and remove any obstacles that may delay the creation of small and medium-sized businesses.”
The President added that entrepreneurial citizens would be supported in accessing loans.
He said, “We will seek investment and loans for citizens with entrepreneurial ideas, and we will increase the quality and performance of government employees, who are engaged in business-related institutions, so that new and existing businesses can do business more easily”.
The President said that he hopes that the national conference, which is a maiden one and is being seriously held at the national level for the first time, would produce results that reflect the theme chosen for the forum, which is to find ideas to create policies, knowledge and finance to strengthen small and medium-sized businesses in the Republic of Somaliland in order to overcome the challenges ahead.
He said, “This Forum is an opportunity for businessmen, experts, government officials and international friends, local businessmen and private banks to ask themselves the most appropriate way to strengthen small and medium-sized businesses in the country.
“I applaud this year’s theme that you have adopted, namely ‘strengthening the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises’.
“We hope that this conference will produce a result that reflects the name you have chosen, namely to find ideas to create a knowledge and financial policy to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises in Somaliland, overcoming the existing obstacles.
“I instruct the Ministry of Trade Development and Tourism and other national trade-related institutions to increase public awareness, so that citizens can be created with a culture of investment and entrepreneurial creativity, especially by educating citizens about the possibilities of trading in the country’s resources.
“Domestic and foreign markets, including salt production, marine resources, coal etc, and to encourage partnerships and co-ownership”.
He added, “It is true that financial infrastructure is the foundation of economic development, so we have invested a lot of effort in developing the country’s road construction and transportation system”.
He ended, “In the first 100 days, we have set the path for creating a national trade policy, a tourism development policy, and the trade of frankincense and myrrh. We expect that the two days of the conference will bring forth expert resolutions that will find ideas that are fruitful or fertile for the development of small and medium-sized businesses.”