The House of the People of Somalia’s Federal Parliament has stopped a monthly $100 deduction from MPs’ salaries that was intended to cover the burial expenses of a deceased lawmaker.
The decision reportedly followed questions raised by several MPs over how the money was being managed and where the funds collected each month were being kept.
The leadership of the House faced repeated questions from lawmakers seeking clarification on the purpose and management of the deductions.
The issue was eventually addressed during a plenary session, where the leadership announced the decision to stop the deductions.
However, MPs were divided over the decision. Some lawmakers said their initial questions were intended to seek transparency and accountability over the funds rather than to demand that the deductions be discontinued.
MP Abdulsalam Haji Ahmed Liban Dhabancad said the total amount deducted from MPs’ salaries had reached $75,500, arguing that lawmakers therefore had the right to ask the House leadership for a financial account of the funds.
For a long time, MPs had raised concerns over where the money was being kept, how much had been collected and how it was being used. These concerns ultimately prompted lawmakers from the 11th Parliament to demand greater clarity from the House leadership.
Mustaqbal
