Sunday July 12, 2026
Bosaso (AX) — For the tenth consecutive day, Bosaso port remains shut as traders press their protest against recently imposed taxes and service charges introduced by Puntland State authorities and DP World.
Jama Hurre, a Bosaso businessman, said the dispute is not about refusing to pay legally required taxes but about resisting new port service fees at a moment of acute inflation, drought and widespread economic strain.
He said the increases are placing pressure on businesses and consumers.
The strike has brought commercial traffic to a standstill and prompted market closures across Bosaso as vendors and suppliers join traders in solidarity. Hurre warned that unless officials quickly intervene, demonstrations could spread to other districts that rely on the port.
Traders, Hurre added, have held multiple rounds of talks with Puntland State’s government without reaching a resolution. He criticized authorities for what he described as insufficient effort to broker a settlement.
He cautioned that the ongoing port shutdown risks driving up commodity prices and producing shortages in Bosaso and the wider region dependent on imports and exports through the port.
Hurre appealed directly to Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and his cabinet to reopen negotiations immediately to avert further economic damage.
Puntland State’s deputy finance minister, Ahmed Yasin Saleh, defended the new charges as necessary to fund the expansion and modernization of Bosaso port.
Saleh said the government had postponed the fee increase for two and a half years in recognition of traders’ difficult economic circumstances.
According to Saleh, the first phase of the port development project ran from January to December 2023 and delivered a number of upgrades: construction of a new 150-meter quay, renovation of sections of the old port, berth expansion, improved lighting, dredging of the shipping channel and the provision of new equipment.
He said that equipment included a tugboat valued at $5 million and modern cranes.
Saleh added that planning is underway for the next phase, which would feature a new 300-meter terminal and a dedicated corridor for livestock exports.
The deputy minister urged traders to comply with the fee structure, arguing that the revenue stream is essential to maintain port development and that disrupting it would undermine Puntland State’s broader economic growth.
In December 2022, DP World and Puntland State signed an agreement to expand and upgrade Bosaso port.
The 12-month contract encompassed construction of a 150-meter quay and repairs to an existing 215-meter quay, creation of a 3,000-square-meter container yard and a 4,000-square-meter container stripping yard, plus upgrades to the port gate area to strengthen access control.
It was not immediately clear whether the 150-meter quay cited by Saleh is the same quay included in DP World’s 12-month development project.
