Postby DawladSade » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:59 pm
B. Local administration of the Lower Juba region and the city
of Kismaayo
63. Kismaayo is the third-largest city in Somalia, situated in the Lower Juba
region, in the southern part of the country. The population is estimated at 488,000.
Many of its residents have lived in camps for internally displaced persons since
1992. The main sources of income for the local population are farming, household
chores, stevedoring at the seaport, work at the airport, firewood collection and
charcoal-burning.
64. Colonel Barre Hirale, head of the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA), is the primary
beneficiary of the revenue generated in the Lower Juba region, including the city of
Kismaayo. Income is derived from business taxes and duties imposed at the airport
and seaport of Kismaayo, which make up the majority of the total earnings.
65. Colonel Hirale exercises overall control over the local administration. He has
an organization of subordinates that assist him in carrying out administrative
activities in both the city of Kismaayo and the remainder of the Lower Juba region.
To administer the region, Colonel Hirale appointed a Chairman, a District
Commissioner and a Mayor of Kismaayo. To ensure control of his administration,
he relies on a sizeable militia, a military commander and a deputy to assist him.
Both civilian and military organizations have their headquarters in Kismaayo, with
representatives spread throughout the region. He uses revenue generated through his
local administration to purchase arms for his militia.
66. Due to the primary importance of the Kismaayo airport and seaport for
revenue generation, Colonel Hirale has, as of the writing of the present report,
undertaken to revamp the physical infrastructure of the facilities of both ports and is
reorganizing the administration and making staff improvements. A system of local
officers is in charge of collecting revenue at both the seaport and airport. They wear
uniforms, use official stationery and have recently established auditing systems. The
airport is controlled by a supervisor who has a staff of about 11 customs and
revenue officers, 5 immigration officers and other personnel. The customs house at
the airport has been revamped, and a permanent staff of officers has been on duty
since May 2005.
67. The seaport has a supervisor, seven customs and revenue officers, three or four
immigration officers and three dock captains. Although these officers are under the
administrative structure of the city of Kismaayo, the airport and seaport supervisors
report the amount of revenue collected on a daily basis directly to Colonel Barre
Hirale.
Kismaayo seaport
68. A deep-water port on the Indian Ocean, Kismaayo has large docks situated on
a peninsula outside the town. Income is generated from taxes on imports, exports
and berthing at the seaport. The Monitoring Group has learned that revenue
collected from January to April 2005 is as shown in table 1.
Table 1
Revenue from Kismaayo seaport, January-April 2005
(United States dollars)
Import tax
a
Export tax
b
Berth tax
Total
January
23 522.00
234 881.00
32 200.00
290 603.00
February
95 479.00
233 055.00
44 900.00
373 434.00
March
35 909.50
253 648.00
32 900.00
322 457.50
April
146 720.00
235 049.00
29 800.00
411 569.00
Total
301 630.50
956 633.00
139 800.00
1 398 063.50
a
Imports consist primarily of sugar, rice, flour and other miscellaneous goods.
Kismaayo Airport, formerly an international airport under the regime of Siad
Barre, is located 10 kilometres north-east of the city. Colonel Barre Hirale’s
immigration and customs officers collect fees from passengers and from traders
dealing in khat. Most of the revenue collected is from the import of khat.
Table 2
Revenue from Kismaayo Airport
(United States dollars)
Description
Item amount
Estimated monthly revenue
Passenger entry/exit tax (not applicable
for Somalis)
20.00
2 passengers x 30 days = 1 200.00
Landing tax (per aircraft)
200.00
2 flights x 30 days = 12 000.00
Khat import tax (25-kilogram bag)
12.50
120 bags x 30 days = 45 000.00
Total
58 200.00
71. According to reports, two flights carrying 60 bags of khat each land at
Kismaayo airport per day. However, the figures may vary due to changes in the
frequency of flights, weather conditions and other variables.
Last edited by
DawladSade on Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:05 pm, edited 3 times in total.
