Somaliland: Government Reverses New Road Tax on Water Tankers

Hargeisa, 28 Dec 2013 (SDN) -Somaliland’s Kulmiye led government bowed to public pressure on Saturday by suspending the introduction of new road tax on water tankers, in its first climb down on a controversial tax hike.

Interior Minister Ali Mohamed Waranade announced the government’s decision to temporarily halt the introduction of the new road tax on water tankers as angers flared after most residents resorted to rioting after water tankers operators entered a fourth day of strike.

Mass protests have been mushrooming across Hargeisa, the capital since the strike last week staged by water tankers angry over the recently passed Roads Tax Bill, which paves the way for hike in road tax.

The Interior Minister’s announcement came after he met with representatives of the water tankers in a bid to find out a solution to the increasingly violate situation.

In the suburb of Mahmoud Haybe where residents have been worsted hit by the water scarcity took to the streets burning car tires while blocking roads in protest against the water crisis which has worsened in the last 7 days. RRU and SPU units deployed to quell the water riots are said to have shot two people.

In the last one week residents of the capital have been affected by water shortages have been relying on water tankers who fetch water from bore holes who then sell to residents due to lack of proper water infrastructure refused to pay the hefty road tax.

Local authorities are said to have forcibly tried to commandeered eight water trucks last night in a bid to avert the impending strike but their efforts were thwarted by the water tankers operators.

The residents of the affected neighborhoods are becoming increasingly desperate and are now working together to find solutions to this latest crisis.

SDN Hargeisa