Mogadishu (AX) — In an unforeseen twist of events, Somalia’s Ministry of Finance has decided to suspend the controversial health card fees that had left travelers bewildered and frustrated. Those fees, imposed on January 28, 2025, by the Ministry of Health, were meant to serve as a financial buffer for vaccinations and other health-related travel requisites. Yet, their introduction was anything but smooth. Chaos erupted as passengers found themselves unexpectedly asked for payments, with no prior announcement, leading to loud disgruntlements splattered across social media platforms. Astonishingly, how did such a measure make it past the drawing board without a communication strategy?
The Ministry of Finance, in its unequivocal statement issued this Monday, anchored its authority in the 2019 Revenue Management Law and a Cabinet directive on unified treasury oversight. The message? Public fees must have formal sanction or they simply are not valid. “The Ministry of Finance holds exclusive authority over the approval and collection of public fees,” the statement confirmed. In a decisive move, they instructed that all enforcing bodies, including airport and immigration desks, cease the collection immediately.
Deputy Finance Minister Abdiqafar Elmi Haange, the signatory of this legislative axe, underscored the significance of adherence to legal protocols. “Arbitrary fees,” he pronounced with a fervent determination, “will not be allowed to burden the citizens.” His standpoint portrayed a government striving for legality and fairness — a stance that might not always be as prevalent as one would hope in global bureaucracies.
The citizens, however, were far from ‘unburdened’ before this directive. Numerous travelers, caught off guard by the sudden financial demands, narrated tales of inconvenience and disarray. The scene at Aden Adde International Airport was once a tapestry of pervasive bewilderment and stranded, confused passengers. I recall one account — a mother, anxious amidst the airport’s deafening hustle, her children in tow — recounted how the unexpected fee had led to the delay of her flight. “There was no announcement or information. I didn’t even know what the fee was for,” she lamented, her voice echoing the sentiment of many. “It was a mess.”
FILE – Deputy Finance Minister Abdiqafar Elmi Haange
In an apparent bid to restore public trust and prevent future missteps, the Finance Ministry’s quick response served as a pacifier to the growing public discontent. A future semblance of order in fee imposition was detailed in their guidelines. Health authorities, should they wish to implement new mandatory health fees, must navigate through formal channels — commencing with an official request to the Ministry of Finance replete with a meticulous financial assessment.
Deputy Finance Minister Haange highlighted this procedural scaffold further, cautioning against informal and arbitrary charges. “We are committed,” he stated, “to a system where no fee is imposed without proper justification and legal backing.”
The Ministry’s pronouncement seemingly aims to harness predictability and transparency, critically lacking in the recent past. So, as Somalia navigates its fiscal policy labyrinth, will this incident prove a catalyst for more coherent and citizen-friendly governance? Only time will tell.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring
