Wednesday, May 11, 2016
MOGADISHU (HOL) – In the run up to this year’s
elections, Somalia’s government has warned its officials against stealing
public money by taking advantage of the crucial transition period the country
would have to go through.
The horn of Africa nation is set to have a new
president by September that will mark the end of the four years mandate of the
current central government.
“Every official has the responsibility to protect
national assets, therefore whoever steals it will surely faces consequences.”
said Mohamed Omar Arte, Somalia’s deputy prime minister.
Despite public complaints of corruption and
unaccountable public services, Mr. Arte had also warned that the government
would hold corrupt officials accountable.
“The corruption culture must come to an end.” He
said at a press conference in Mogadishu on Tuesday.
Although, Somalia’s current government has shown
a determination to fight corruption which it said represents a major threat to
the country’s stability, no official has so far been charged or removed from
public offices for stealing public funds.
On early this year, the government had proposed
the establishment an anti-corruption body which would target transparency and
accountability in a country which continues to top the world’s most corrupt
index every year.
According to a recent report by the United
Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, there have been alarming
corruption cases by Somali officials exploiting the country’s weak financial
system.
Lack of political will by leaders to fight
corruption also plays a major role in the increasing corruption cases in Somalia,
according to the group.
Financial analysts say the ‘rampant’ corruption
cases in Somalia continue to choke the country’s post-war economic growth which
threatens to tarnish the country’s image.