On 20 August 2015, the President of Puntland, H.E. Dr. Abdilweli Mohamed Ali, members of his cabinet and members of the parliament were present at the first every major Forum on Accountability and Transparency in Galkayo, Puntland. The Executive Director of Hayaan Institute for Research and Policy, Sharmarke Farah, moderated the Forum with President of Puntland.
The Accountability and Transparency Forum was hosted by Hayaan Institute, which is presently engaged in research and activities aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability in Somalia. The main objective is to increase the demand and expectation of greater participation, accountability and transparency from government, particularly with respect to the delivery of government services.
Apart from the senior government officials, the Forum brought together civil society organisations, academia, sheikhs, businesses, and media from all around Puntland, to provide an important and unique space to reflect on the extent of corruption within the government, transparency and accountability theory and practice, and define the next steps in the agenda for Puntland in the areas of accountability and transparency.
The forum provided space to debate the guiding question: what is the government doing or prepared to do to strengthen accountability and transparency? The questions from the forum participants and addressed to President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali included: against the backdrop of Transparency International ranking of Somalia, what is the extent of corruption according the government? What is the government planning to address corruption, accountability and transparency?
Hayaan Institute was encouraged to hold the Forum by the President’s recent announcement, at the 17th inauguration of Puntland on 1st August 2015, that 2015/6 would be the years for combating corruption and strengthening accountability in Puntland. During the Forum, the President reiterated his key message of public financial management and accountability reform: restructuring the revenue collection and payment rules and systems, to increase transparency and at, the same time, reduce corruption, malfeasance and waste. He added “we cannot afford to lose resources to corruption when the government revenue is meagre and our people are suffering from high levels of poverty”.
About Hayaan Institute
Established in 2013, with headquarters in Garowe, Puntland, Hayaan Institute for Research and Policy is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organisation that conducts behavioral, economic and social science research and delivers technical assistance in the areas of economics, education, health, energy, the environment, and governance. The institute’s purpose is to serve leaders and the public through research and education on the most important issues of the day.
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