Mogadishu Traders Protest New Business Requirements, Close Shops

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Major markets and shops in Mogadishu were shut down Wednesday following the coming into effect of a raft of statutory requirements imposed by the city administration.

A spot check by Goobjoog News revealed that traders kept off their businesses in the capital Mogadishu, among them the city’s biggest market—Bakaro—amid complaints over the new tax regimes.

The traders said the new requirements were punitive and called for review. Among the new requirements is Employee Registration, Merchant Registration, Account Registration, Quality Control and Tax Identification Number (TIN).

The traders noted that the requirements bore an extra cost of their cost of business. In August, a similar shut-down happened in Mogadishu as the Federal Government rolled out the Value Added Tax (VAT) at 5%.

There was no comment from the Banadir Regional Administration yet.