Garowe (KAAB TV) – Puntland’s Finance Minister, Mohamed Farah Mahmoud, is facing intense public criticism after controversially suggesting that road construction should take priority over paying government employees.
The backlash comes amid growing tensions within the public sector, where employees claim they have not received their salaries for six out of the past nine months.
In addition to the wage delays, workers say they have also been denied their annual bonuses. Security personnel have echoed similar frustrations, warning that the government’s continued failure to address salary delays is undermining morale and operational effectiveness.
When questioned about the ongoing payment crisis, Minister Mahmoud denied that the Ministry of Finance had intentionally withheld salaries.
He failed to provide a clear explanation for the ongoing delays or address the growing frustration among civil servants and security forces.
“This is not just a labor issue—it’s a governance issue,” said one civil servant who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. “You cannot expect peace and stability in a region where the very people responsible for ensuring it are not being paid.”
The controversy underscores the broader economic challenges facing Puntland’s administration, which is now under increasing pressure to justify its spending priorities.
Critics argue that while infrastructure development is important, it should not come at the cost of basic government responsibilities such as timely salary payments.
Observers warn that the government’s failure to address these issues could lead to instability, particularly if disillusioned security personnel and civil servants begin to disengage from their duties or take to the streets in protest.
As public frustration mounts, calls are growing for the Puntland government to provide transparency in its budgeting decisions and to urgently resolve the salary crisis before it further undermines trust in public institutions.