Top: Somali Financial Powerhouse Up Heaves as Senior Official Abruptly Steps Down

Jafar Ahmed, the Director of Revenue at Somalia’s Ministry of Finance, has resigned.

Why, you ask? Well, credible sources have reported that his departure is due to concerns over alleged corruption practices and favoritism in the Ministry’s staff recruitment process. But officially, he’s claiming personal reasons. Suspicious, right?

But wait, there’s more! The controversy doesn’t end there. You see, Mr. Ahmed is also opposed to the recent decision to increase tariffs on imported goods. He warned that this would have harmful effects on the public and businesses.

And let’s not forget about the concerns he expressed regarding the competence of recently appointed personnel responsible for overseeing revenue generation from key sources.

Apparently, the lack of expertise among new employees has become a major source of frustration for Mr. Ahmed. Talk about bursting at the seams with dissatisfaction!

Oh, but it gets better. Other experienced senior employees also left in protest over the controversies surrounding the new staff hiring process.

And now, discussions about the state of governance and corruption within Somalia’s public institutions are being sparked as a result of Mr. Ahmed’s resignation. The Ministry of Finance has yet to comment on the matter, which certainly adds to the perplexity.

Let’s not forget about Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre who is facing allegations of corruption within his government.

Despite concerns over the potential implications this could have on the country’s efforts for qualifying for debt relief, he has shifted blame onto the Puntland leadership for the challenges encountered in the debt forgiveness process.

Some are arguing that this diversion of blame is yet another example of poor performance by Barre’s government.