Somali lawmakers pass amendments to Accountants Bill to tighten financial oversight
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s House of the People on Monday approved amendments to the Somali Accountants Bill, a measure aimed at strengthening financial oversight across federal institutions and raising professional standards in the public accounting sector.
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The chamber voted 140-1 to adopt the revisions, with four lawmakers abstaining. Second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshirow announced the tally shortly after debate opened on the bill’s updated provisions, underscoring broad political support for the legislation.
FILE — Somali lawmakers raise their hands during a parliamentary session in Mogadishu as the House of the People votes on key national legislation. The chamber approved the measure with an overwhelming majority, reflecting broad political support for the bill under debate.
According to officials, the amendments are designed to sharpen the tools of public financial management by setting clear expectations for accountants working within government agencies and the federal civil service. The Ministry of Finance said the legislation will help build a more skilled workforce capable of managing federal financial records and delivering more accurate public reporting.
Lawmakers and financial authorities framed the bill as a central component of ongoing efforts to modernize Somalia’s fiscal systems. Those reforms include improvements in budgeting discipline, revenue tracking and internal auditing — pillars viewed as essential to preventing misuse of funds and instilling confidence in how public money is managed.
The updated bill sets out new standards for how government accountants are trained, supervised and held to account. Its core elements include:
- Procedures governing how federal financial records are recorded, reviewed and reported
- Qualifications and competency requirements for accountants working across government agencies
- Codes of conduct intended to reinforce ethics, integrity and professional accountability
Officials argue that upgrading professional standards and oversight is critical to improving transparency and aligning Somalia’s fiscal practices with international norms. Stronger rules and clearer responsibilities, they say, should reduce errors, improve audit readiness and promote more consistent reporting across ministries and independent agencies.
The measure is also intended to support broader institutional strengthening. By setting baseline qualifications and professional behavior requirements, the bill seeks to establish consistency in how financial data is compiled and reviewed, making it easier for oversight bodies to detect irregularities and for the public to understand how government funds are being used.
While debate on Monday focused on the bill’s updated provisions, the overwhelming vote signaled a shared recognition that public finance reforms depend on the people and systems that carry them out. The Ministry of Finance, which has advocated for stronger standards, has emphasized that reliable financial information is the foundation for effective budgeting and long-term planning.
With the amendments approved, Somalia has taken another step in its multi-year campaign to strengthen public institutions. The government views these changes as part of a wider effort to professionalize the civil service, improve service delivery and reinforce trust in the federal government’s financial stewardship.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
