President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud delivers a speech in which he addresses many issues

President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud delivers a speech in which he addresses many issues

 President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud delivered a speech in which he addressed many issues in the country, including taxes, elections, the conflict with Ethiopia, and the war on Al-Shabaab.

At the beginning of his speech, the President denied that the federal government imposed new taxes, indicating that what happened was the implementation of a new tax system, and explained that it is necessary for companies and citizens to understand the changes and implement their tax obligations.

Sheikh Mahmoud urged businesses to comply with the 5% value-added tax imposed by the government, which he said plays a crucial role in financing basic services and development projects. The President affirmed the government's commitment to preparing for popular elections, noting the importance of ensuring transparent and comprehensive elections to achieve democratic progress.

He touched on the ongoing conflict between Somalia and its neighbor Ethiopia, and stated that Ethiopia's refusal to recognize Somalia as an independent state led to tension in relations between the two countries, explaining that this issue was the reason for the collapse of the recent talks between the two countries in the Turkish capital.

The president added that the war against Al-Shabaab, which began two years ago, is still continuing, but he acknowledged the difficulties facing his government in the war, the nature of which has changed, and indicated that the determination to combat extremism still exists.

The president delivered this speech to calm the situation after the Somali federal government was severely criticized for increasing taxes, as tuk-tuk drivers staged protests in the streets of the capital, Mogadishu, and businessmen threatened to stop commercial activities in protest against the imposition of high taxes on them.