Sunday July 19, 2026
Bosaso (AX) — Operations at Bosaso port and commercial activity across the city have returned to normal after Puntland State authorities and business leaders reached an agreement to resolve a dispute over higher port service fees that had disrupted trade for more than a week.
Bosaso Mayor Abdirahman Abdullahi Ali said Sunday that businesses had resumed operations and commercial centers had reopened.
“There is no closure,” the mayor said, stating that trade and public life in the city were again operating normally.
Abdirahman appealed to residents in Bosaso and across Puntland State to safeguard peace and stability while backing government institutions.
He urged the public to refrain from actions that could fuel disorder, division or confusion.
“The most businesspeople work for the benefit of the community and play an important role in the local economy,” the mayor said.
He noted that shifts in the global economy and developments in the Middle East could affect commerce, saying traders and residents needed to cooperate to protect stability.
Abdirahman accused an unnamed number of people of using the name of traders to sow confusion. He called on business owners not to engage in such actions and to continue supporting the development of Bosaso and Puntland State.
The fee increases have placed further strain on residents already contending with inflation, weaker purchasing power and financial difficulties affecting many households.
The port had been disrupted for more than a week after authorities imposed additional service charges. Traders protested the increases, arguing that they would raise costs for businesses and ultimately consumers.
Puntland State officials say the revised charges are meant to fund the expansion and modernization of Bosaso port. Traders, however, have said the broader economic downturn makes this a particularly difficult time to introduce higher fees.
