Somalia Announces Road Construction Plan to Boost Trade

On 3 August 2016, Goobjoog News reported that Somalia's Ministry for Works planned to link different parts of the country by constructing link roads intended to increase trade.

Minister of Works Salah Sh. Osman said the government had decided to open up new roads across the nation to enable faster movement of goods and boost trade, according to Goobjoog News. He spoke at a meeting held in Mogadishu.

Osman said the ministry was planning to launch projects to upgrade bridges, ports and roads in the country. He added that repair and reconstruction of bridges, roads and main ports in Somalia would start "soon", saying they were destroyed during the civil war, Goobjoog News reported.

The minister also urged the public to help the government start collecting property tax revenue. Goobjoog News reported that Somalia last had a property taxation system in 1991, before warlords overthrew the central government led by president Mohamed Siad Barre. The report said the conflict led to the permanent destruction of the country's economic infrastructure and ended the rules and regulations the country had enjoyed for many years.

What the report does not establish is any progress since the announcement. It names no specific roads, bridges, or ports to be built or repaired. It provides no funding sources, budgets, or costs for the planned projects. No timeline beyond the minister's "soon" is given, and no procurement or tender information is included. There is no follow-up reporting to confirm that any construction, repair, or reconstruction has started.