The Federal Government of Somalia has accused Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni of obstructing 17 World Bank-funded projects that were to be implemented in Puntland to benefit the community.
Somalia’s Deputy Minister of Finance, Abdiqafar Elmi Xaange, said that all of these projects are ready to be approved, but they need Puntland’s signature to begin their implementation.
Xaange noted that President Deni has rejected some of the projects, while demanding approval for others, resulting in a delay that has dragged on since 2022.
The Minister stressed that the Federal Government has no reason to obstruct Puntland’s development, citing the example of Jubbaland, where there are political differences with the Federal Government, yet this has not prevented the implementation of the projects there.
According to him, of the 24 projects planned to be implemented in Puntland, only 7 are currently underway, while the rest are stalled due to President Deni’s opposition.
Minister Xange also said that the Federal Government sends millions of dollars to Puntland every year to supplement the budget of that administration.
For his part, President Said Deni recently said that he will not approve any project that has special interests, or is based on political and economic objectives that are beyond the public interest.
