MOGADISHU, Somalia – In a recent financial disclosure from Somalia’s Office of the Auditor General, it was revealed that the federal government collected $369 million in taxes in 2024. The lion’s share of this revenue came from customs duties at the Port of Mogadishu and the city’s international airport.
MGS Soft, the private firm contracted to manage property tax collection in the capital, reported last week that it gathered over $7.1 million from Mogadishu households and properties in the previous year. Back in 2023, Mayor Yusuf Hussein Jimale—widely known as Madaale—noted that around 50,000 rickshaws (locally known as bajaaj) operate across the city. These vehicles alone contribute about $9 million annually to government coffers. Additional income is raised through various local taxes and service fees.
Altogether, tax revenues generated from Mogadishu approach half a billion dollars each year. Despite this, the federal tax system remains largely confined to the capital—government tax collection does not extend to surrounding towns like Balcad or Afgooye, let alone major regional centers such as Kismayo, Baidoa, Dhusamareb, or Garowe. Ironically, some of the funds raised in Mogadishu are redistributed to federal member states, with each receiving approximately $150,000 per month from the central government.
This structure places a heavy financial burden on Mogadishu’s residents, who not only fulfill their tax obligations on housing, transportation, commerce, and employment—but also end up financing regions where no equivalent taxation is enforced.
Unfortunately, this commitment by Mogadishu’s people has not been met with adequate public services. Despite contributing millions of dollars, residents continue to live amid neglect and economic hardship. Infrastructure remains poor, basic services are limited, and government accountability is lacking.
Rather than showing appreciation, the federal government has offered little in return—sometimes even responding with hostility to calls for transparency. Mogadishu’s citizens deserve better. It’s time for serious public dialogue, where both government officials and the community confront these imbalances. Leaders must reassess how public funds are allocated and ensure that at least part of the capital’s massive tax contribution is used to solve its chronic problems.
Hussein Sabrie
