The second day of the Somali market in Bakara market was disrupted by traders from Benadir and the Ministry of Finance of the Federal Government of Somalia about the government’s tax levied.
The dispute between the business and the ministry that led to the closure of the Bakara market was interrupted by the parliamentary seat of the federal government of Somalia.
Parliamentarian Mohamud Abdirahman chairman of the Somali parliament’s economic and trade committee, told reporters in Mogadishu that they will meet with traders and discuss issues of taxation and security in Bakara market.
Last week, the Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Somalia H E Abdirahman Beyle told the press that the Government had imposed tax on the purchase and imports in the port, traders pointed out that tax is illegal, as it is impossible to pay the sales tax for two items, said the sales tax was mandatory for the buyers, but the federal government says that this is due to the circumstances that they are not able to negotiate with traders.
Mogadishu -Businesses in Somalia’s largest open-air market, Bakara have boycotted trade over the introduction of a 5% sales tax on all goods sold and services rendered. The traders have vowed to keep the market closed until the government eliminates the tax altogether.
There are also reports that Businessmen have refused to offload their goods from Mogadishu’s port in protest of the levy.