Somaliland’s Finance Ministry reviews World Bank-funded development projects as the government strengthens fiscal oversight, fights corruption and seeks to stabilize the Somaliland shilling
HARGEISA, Somaliland —Somaliland’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development convened a quarterly review of World Bank-funded development projects, bringing together senior government officials and project coordinators as the administration seeks to accelerate implementation, strengthen accountability and ensure that development financing produces measurable results.
The meeting, chaired Sunday by Ministry Director General Mohamed Hassan Suleiman and organized through the ministry’s Portfolio Center of Excellence (PCE), focused on the performance of projects being implemented by government institutions across Somaliland.
Officials reviewed implementation progress, expenditure, project management and coordination, while identifying obstacles that could delay the delivery of planned activities.
The review comes as the government places greater emphasis on public financial management and the effective use of external development assistance. Participants assessed the tangible results generated by World Bank-supported programs and examined whether projects remained aligned with their approved objectives and implementation schedules.
Suleiman stressed that development resources must be managed efficiently and transparently.
The director general said projects should remain focused on their approved objectives while ensuring that external support and public resources are used “efficiently, transparently, and effectively” for the benefit of Somaliland’s population.
He also reaffirmed the Finance Ministry’s commitment to working with implementing ministries, government agencies, project coordination offices and development partners to resolve bottlenecks and improve project performance.
Portfolio Center highlights coordination with World Bank
Mohamed Abdi, head of the Portfolio Center of Excellence, presented an update on the center’s work coordinating and monitoring World Bank-funded projects.
He highlighted continued engagement between the PCE and World Bank management, including discussions intended to facilitate access to development financing and better align available resources with Somaliland’s development priorities.
The meeting also reported increased project expenditure and utilization of allocated funds. Directors general and project coordinators provided updates on achievements, implementation constraints and plans for accelerating activities during the next reporting period.
Participants described the quarterly review mechanism as an important tool for strengthening information-sharing and institutional accountability. They also emphasized the need for closer cooperation among the Finance Ministry, implementing agencies, project offices and the World Bank.
The meeting ended with a commitment to improve monitoring, coordination and implementation so that development assistance translates into sustainable outcomes.
Finance minister links anti-corruption drive to economic reform
The review comes days after Finance and Economic Development Minister Abdillahi Hassan Adan outlined a broader economic reform agenda that includes combating corruption, increasing domestic revenue and strengthening the Somaliland shilling.
Speaking Thursday, Aug. 20, on the ruling Waddani party’s “Talk to Your Party” program, Abdillahi described corruption as a major threat to economic development and state-building.
“During the time I have been at the Ministry, three people have been arrested for corruption,” the minister said, while emphasizing that financial oversight bodies and courts operate independently.
“We do not interfere with the Auditor General or the courts; they make their own decisions,” he said.
Abdillahi said the anti-corruption campaign is a central priority of President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro’s administration.
“Corruption poses a major threat to the country’s economy and the progress of state-building,” he said, adding that combating corruption is among the government’s principal objectives.
His comments underscore the connection between the ministry’s project-monitoring efforts and the administration’s wider push to strengthen public financial management. For a government dependent in part on external development financing, tighter oversight of project expenditure is also central to maintaining confidence among development partners.
Pressure on shilling remains a concern
The finance minister also addressed continued pressure on the Somaliland shilling, attributing fluctuations in its value partly to the availability of U.S. dollars in the domestic market.
“Whenever the availability of dollars decreases, the value of the Somaliland shilling declines,” he said.
Abdillahi linked changing demand for dollars to broader international economic and geopolitical developments, including disruptions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, which he said have affected dollar purchases.
The government’s objective, he said, is to strengthen the value and stability of the Somaliland shilling through coordinated measures involving the Finance Ministry and the Central Bank of Somaliland.
The twin focus on development-project performance and macroeconomic stability reflects a broader challenge for Somaliland: converting limited public resources and external assistance into durable economic gains while improving institutional accountability.
For the Finance Ministry, the quarterly review provides one mechanism for tracking whether World Bank-backed projects are moving from approved plans to measurable outcomes. The anti-corruption drive, meanwhile, signals that the administration intends to place greater emphasis on oversight as it seeks to expand domestic revenue and reinforce the country’s financial system.
