Somaliland (Kaab TV) – Somaliland has accused the Federal Government of Somalia of interfering in the export of live animals from the port of Berbera, saying that the tax revenue from the business should be transferred to the Ministry of Finance of Somalia.
Somaliland’s Minister of Animal Husbandry, Omar Shuaib Mohamed, has announced that the export of livestock has been suspended for four days, in order to protest against the recent order issued by the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“President Hassan Sheikh said that he will issue a letter to protect the animals that are leaving Berbera from an Arab individual. This is Somaliland, and Hassan Sheikh does not rule,” said Minister Shuaib while speaking at the press conference.
He added that Somaliland is committed to modernizing the way of exporting live animals, improving the facilities of the port of Berbera so that they can handle livestock loading and unloading.Livestock trade is an important source of income for Somalia and its regions.
A report issued by the World Bank said that the export of livestock has contributed more than 3 billion dollars to Somalia’s economy in the past five years. Major ports such as Berbera, Bosaso, Mogadishu, and Kismayo facilitate this trade, contributing significantly to local and national tax revenues.
The report highlighted that in 2023, Somalia experienced a 92% increase in livestock exports, which reached $1.07 billion, while in 2022 it was $558.4 million, which shows the highest value of livestock exports in history. the country.