Upper House Passes National Payment System Bill, Warns of Deepening Drought

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The Upper House of Parliament has approved the National Payment System Bill while hearing a stark briefing on the country’s worsening drought, which officials say is pushing millions deeper into crisis.

The session was presided over by Upper House Speaker Cabdi Xaashi Cabdullaahi, alongside Second Deputy Speaker Cabdullaahi Cali Xirsi, known as Timacadde. Lawmakers completed the third reading of the bill, a key piece of legislation aimed at regulating and strengthening the country’s financial payment framework.

Presenting the finance committee’s report, Deputy Chairperson Senator Ibraahim Awgab Cismaan said the bill had incorporated recommendations raised by senators during earlier debates. The chamber then voted overwhelmingly in favour, with 28 senators backing the bill and no votes cast against it.

In a separate agenda item, the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Mahmoud Moallim Abdulle, warned that drought conditions across Somalia were deteriorating rapidly, with rural communities bearing the brunt of the impact.

“The situation today is not normal, and the country is not in a normal state,” Abdulle told lawmakers, citing the combined effects of climate change and recurring shocks. He said more than 4.7 million people were facing extremely severe drought conditions.

Senators questioned the agency on the scale of the crisis, the regions most affected and the government’s readiness to respond. The Upper House called for stronger coordination between national authorities and international partners as humanitarian needs continue to rise across the country.