In brief
- On 12 October 2017, Goobjoog News reported that Posts and Telecommunications Minister Eng. Abdi Ashur Hassan said the government will invest in infrastructure development in the telecommunication sector.
- The minister said the government is better placed to put resources into the sector after the passage of a Telecommunication Law 'last month', and that the sector is currently driven by the private sector with no tangible government contribution to infrastructure.
- No amount, budget line, funding source or timeline was stated; the report does not establish that any investment, tender, contract or tax collection followed.
On 12 October 2017, Goobjoog News reported that Posts and Telecommunications Minister Eng. Abdi Ashur Hassan said the government will invest in infrastructure development in the telecommunication sector to create a favourable environment for investors and boost domestic revenue.
The stated intention was reported from the minister's remarks at a conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to Goobjoog News, he addressed what the report calls the World Telecommunication for Conference, held under the auspices of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The same report also refers to the meeting as WTDC-17, an inconsistency in the source.
What the minister said
The minister said the government was now better placed to put resources into the telecommunication sector, thanks to the passage of the Telecommunication Law last month. He characterized the sector as currently driven by the business sector with no tangible contribution by the government in terms of building infrastructure that would add value to operations and increase government revenues.
He said the government wants to fill that gap and help investors move to the next level so that government can generate more taxes from the sector. The report also states that Somalia aims to generate up to $100 million annually in taxes from the telecommunications industry, a stated aim rather than a collection figure.
On the ITU, the minister said regaining voting rights allows for a full partnership with ITU in the development of Somalia's ICT sector.
What the report does not establish
The report does not establish what, if anything, followed. It records no investment, no tender, no contract, no implementing agency and no procurement plan. It does not state the law number, gazette date or text of the Telecommunication Law said to have been passed last month. It does not state whether the $100 million annual tax figure is a government projection, an ITU estimate or another basis.
No post-2017-10-12 outcome on this stated investment is documented in the report.
Frequently asked questions
How will the investment be funded?
The report does not state a funding source, amount, budget line or timeline. The minister is reported as saying the government will invest in infrastructure development in the telecommunication sector.
What kind of infrastructure is planned?
The report does not specify. It says the government intends to fill the infrastructure gap in the telecom sector, without identifying projects.
What happened after the 2017-10-12 report?
The report does not establish any post-2017-10-12 outcome: no investment, tender, contract or tax collection is documented in it.