Government-by-Government Assessments: Somalia
The government made significant progress by publishing its executive budget proposal in a reasonable period of time. During the review period, the government published its enacted budget and end-of-year report online within a reasonable period of time. Information on external debt obligations was published on the Ministry of Finance’s website. Budget documents were substantially complete. Some ministries may be maintaining off-budget accounts not subject to audit or oversight. Actual revenues and expenditures may have deviated from projections, but the government issued a revised supplemental budget, although periodic budget execution reports were delayed. The supreme audit institution produced a publicly available review of the government’s accounts. The supreme audit institution does not meet international standards of independence. The government partially specified in law procedures for awarding natural resource concessions, but there is not enough information available to determine whether or not they were followed in practice. Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was not publicly available. Somalia’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:
- eliminating off-budget accounts or subjecting them to adequate oversight and audit;
- ensuring the supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence;
- fully specifying in law procedures for awarding natural resource concessions;
- awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licenses in a manner consistent with law or regulation; and
- making basic information on all such awards publicly available.