MSMEs policy advocacy – Hargeisa (November 15, 2022)

The Ministry of Trade and Tourism (MOTT) of Somaliland has developed MSME policy implementation strategy. The MSME policy identifies seven distinct policy areas (enabling environment, entrepreneurship and skills, finance, market access and facilitation, research and development, business development services, and land, energy, and physical infrastructure) and 48 potential strategies.

The MSME sector in Somaliland is considered the most significant source of income and job creation for the Country’s population of 3.5 million particularly for young people. It is also recognized that MSMEs have significantly contributed to the post-conflict recovery and remain a core element in the country’s private sector-driven economy. MSMEs dominate key sectors including, livestock, trade, real estate and construction, agricultural production, and others as identified in table 2 below. Unfortunately, the lack of data and statistics makes it difficult to determine MSME‟s contribution to employment and GDP.

During the Global Entrepreneurship Week Shaqodoon and the MOTT will organize a policy advocacy event that will bring together all major stakeholders including Development Partners, NGOs, Government, MSMEs and associations, etc.), The advocacy forum will last for one day. During the event, the stakeholders will discuss the following but are not limited to: a) elements of the policy, b) policy implementation strategy b) role of the shareholders in the policy implementation and c) available services and supports for MSMEs from the different stakeholders. By the end of the event, all major stakeholders in the MSMEs sector will be able to familiarize themselves with policy advantages and implementation strategies.