At a World Bank Group facilitated Economic Sector coordination meeting co-hosted by the ministry of trade and investment and Danida in Hargeisa
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The cost of doing business in Somaliland is an issue of great concern to the country’s economic sector.
This was the unanimous decision reached at the second 2016 Economic Sector coordination meeting-ESCOM in Hargeisa where over 40 participants represented stakeholders including government, the private sector, civil society and Development partners.
Participants were also categorical that ESCOM should be the driving vehicle towards achieving the Somaliland National Economic Strategy that envisions “poverty alleviation and sustainable economic growth enjoyed by all citizens”
As is the norm ESCOM II was facilitated by the World Bank Group-WBG and co-chaired by the Somaliland ministry of Trade and Investment –MoT&I and the Danish International Development Agency-DANIDA
The economic sector coordination meeting (ESCOM) constitutes a key element in Somaliland’s national development plan (NDP) framework. ESCOM is primarily a component of government’s Aid coordination mechanism with 8 sectors under this process including: Economic, Agriculture, infrastructure, health, education, water, production, Governance and Environment.
Prior to the official opening of ESCOM 11 the minister of Trade and investment Eng Hussein Aden Egge “Deyr’ asked participants to reflect on the difficult circumstances engulfing a large portion of the Somaliland population as a result of severe drought while urging donors and affluent citizens both at home and abroad to respond to the government’s appeal for relief supplies.
On the issue at hand Minister Hussein Deyr pledged the full commitment of President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo and his administration towards implementing recommendations of the current ESCOM as well as future ones. Click to read the minister’s verbatim remarks
Upon official launch the half day ESCOM ensued with strict observance to the agenda that was draft with the aim of smoothening the progress of participants access to the podium for presentations, Plenary discussions and subsequent recommendations with the setting of agenda for ESCOM 111 to be held on the 27th June 2016 as culmination
To jumpstart the agenda in the absence of his co-chair from Danida Michael Thyge Poulsen was the MoT&I director of planning Mohamed Awale who briefed the session on ESCOM and its main achievements to date thence afterwards.
The purview of the private sector as pertains the progress made so far in relation to doing business and investment laws in the country was presented by the chairman of the Somaliland chamber of commerce Mustafa Mohamed.
Still in his capacity as sole chair The MoT&I director of planning chaperoned review and confirmation of minutes of the previous ESCOM held on the 27th January 2016 and subsequent feedback from the secretariat on the progress achieved in implementing agreed recommendations
High level coordination updates were presented by the ministry of planning more so as relates to prevalent progress while development updates were showcased by Abdirizaq M Warsame and Suleiman Sheikh Mohamed both from DAI/PIMS.
Financial Sector updates were presented by Abdirahman Hasan Ismail from the Central bank who briefed status relevant to commercial banking (Still pending legislation), access to finance and a generalized perspective from the banking industry.
In relation to further private sector updates the World Bank Group was at hand to brief on the group’s activities that impact on doing business and other reforms it spearheads in Somaliland pertinent to Economic sector.
Opportunities and challenges faced by the Energy sector were presented by the Shuraako CEO Abdikarim Jirde whose updates dwelt on the progress achieved by this sector and its impact post the Renewable energy investment forum.
ESCOM II thence engaged in a plenary session that saw participants and sectored representatives engage in a Q&A in which presentations were poked, queried and justified
The World bank Group facilitated Somaliland Economic Sector Coordination Meeting II of 2016 which is co-chaired by Danida and the Trade and Investment ministry outcome of deliberations was presented and agreed with proposals for next ESCOM to be held in the next quarter bringing business to a close.
Copyright: Somalilandsun, 2016. www.somalilandsun.com
About the Economic Sector Coordination Meeting (ESCOM)
. The economic sector coordination meeting (ESCOM) constitutes a key element in Somaliland’s national development plan (NDP) framework. ESCOM is primarily a component of government’s Aid coordination mechanism
There are 8 sectors under this process including: Economic, Agriculture, infrastructure, health, education, water, production, Governance and Environment.
Membership of each sector coordination forum includes: Government, PS, NGOs, and Development partners. The 8 sector constitute Level 1 of the aid coordination process. Each sector was expected to hold bi-monthly coordination meetings chaired by a government ministry or institution and co-chaired by a UN agency.
At Level 2 is the inter- sectoral coordination meeting which takes place on a quarterly basis .This meeting constitutes all chairs and co-chairs of the 8 sectors mentioned above . Level 3 is the high level national the economic sector coordination meeting (ESCOM) constitutes a key element in Somaliland’s national development plan (NDP) framework. ESCOM is primarily a component of government’s Aid coordination mechanism coordination committee which meets bi-annually.
The purpose of the Economic sector coordination meeting (ESCOM) is to: develop sector monitoring and coordination mechanisms, oversee implementation of agreed policy interventions, provide policy guidelines and act as a forum for networking and information sharing. The Economic sector coordination meeting (ESCOM) brings together different economic sector stakeholders to enable information sharing and networking on issues that impact the economic sector in particular and Somaliland’s economy in general.
Somaliland is designing a new national development plan (NDP) and it is expected that WSCOM, alongside all coordination mechanism under the previous NDP, will be reviewed. In the meantime, ESCOM meetings will be held on a quarterly basis to enable better follow up on meeting resolutions and enhance the overall quality of ESCOM
