Skip to content

The Senate House to Debate on their Constitutional Role on the 2018 Budget

The front side of the Somali Senate House. Photo credit: Online.

The federal Upper House of Somalia will today debate to determine their constitutional rights to ratify the Budget for 2018.

It follows when the federal Lower House approved the 2018 Budget on mid December 2017 and submitted the bill straight to the office of the president giving the Federal Government go ahead to implement the $247 million budget without passing it over to the Senate House. Out of 164 lawmakers present, 162 endorsed the budget while one abstained and another disapproved.

This move angered the Senators and demanded an emergency meeting with President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo which took place a week ago to raise their complains to him.

On November 5th, the Senate approved a bill on their right to discuss and approve a national budget which earlier was confined only to the Lower House.

President Farmaajo has until December 31st 2017 which is today to endorse the 2017 Budget to avoid “government shutdown” which literally means lack of salaries for the civil servants and the armed forces.

More to follow.

Goobjoog News