The Ministry of Finance announces the Somaliland Tax Forum 2025 on Dec 27. Key stakeholders will convene in Hargeisa to discuss tax compliance, revenue collection, and expanding the tax base for sustainable economic growth
Hargeisa, Somaliland –In a significant push to strengthen its fiscal foundations, the self-declared Republic of Somaliland will host its annual Tax Forum this week, bringing government officials, business leaders, and civil society together to tackle a central challenge: boosting voluntary taxpayer compliance.
Scheduled for December 27, 2025, the “Somaliland Tax Forum 2025” under the theme “Enhancing Taxpayer Compliance,” represents a core component of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development’s strategy to construct a modern, equitable tax system.
The forum comes on the heels of recent, targeted initiatives like the capital’s rental property registration drive, signaling an intensified effort to widen the domestic revenue net essential for funding public services and infrastructure.
“A nation’s social contract is built on the mutual accountability between a government and its citizens,” said Finance Minister Hon. Abdillahi Hassan Aden, who is expected to open the forum. “This dialogue is not just about revenue collection; it is about building public trust. When taxpayers understand how their contributions are used and believe the system is fair, compliance ceases to be an obligation and becomes a partnership for national development.”
The forum’s objectives are multifaceted, aiming to dissect hurdles in revenue collection, explore methods to expand the tax base across various sectors, and foster stronger collaboration between the government and the private sector. Participants will include senior ministry officials, representatives from civil society organizations, and a broad cross-section of the business community.
The focus on compliance underscores a strategic shift in Somaliland’s approach to economic governance. As the region seeks greater international recognition and economic self-sufficiency, moving from informal, often inconsistent revenue streams to a transparent, rules-based system is seen as paramount.
“Effective taxation is the bedrock of any state that aspires to provide security, education, and healthcare for its people,” noted Mohamed Hassan Suleiman, the Ministry’s Director General. “This forum is a critical platform to listen, to explain our modernization plans—including our digitalization efforts—and to jointly design a system where compliance is simpler and evasion is harder.”
Analysts observe that Somaliland’s government is walking a delicate line: it must increase domestic revenue to reduce dependency on external support and remittances while ensuring that new measures do not stifle a growing but fragile private sector. The inclusive format of the forum suggests an awareness that sustainable reform requires buy-in from across society.
“The business community welcomes this dialogue,” said Farah Abdi, a Hargeisa-based entrepreneur planning to attend. “Clarity, predictability, and fairness in the tax regime are what we need to invest and grow. If the forum leads to a more streamlined process and demonstrates tangible improvements in service delivery, it will build the confidence needed for higher compliance.”
The Somaliland Tax Forum 2025 is poised to be more than a day of discussion; it is being framed as a tangible step in the ongoing project of state-building, where fiscal policy becomes a tool for both economic sustainability and strengthening the social contract.
