Mogadishu (SD) – Mahdi Mohamed Guled, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, witnessed and spoke at the signing of an agreement between the Federal Government of Somalia and Albayrk Investment Company, saying that positive steps have been taken in recent years to strengthen investment in the country.

The Acting Deputy Prime Minister pointed out the implications for the people and government of Somalia of reviewing and improving the 2014 Agreement between the Government of Somalia and Albayrk Company on the operation and expansion of Mogadishu Port.

The agreement is limited to five years and sets out a process to extend the long-term balance of the previous 20-year agreement, but is based on the success of the Port’s expansion plan and operational process, with the Somali government overseeing it, and issuing an assessment of the implementation of the agreed upon provisions.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia by the Acting Minister of Ports, Maryan Aweys, and on behalf of Albayrak, by Ahmet Sami Isler and Fehat Akkaya.

This agreement is in a direct contrast with the Berbera agreement between Somaliland and DP World, which critics allege is done in secrecy, and furthermore awards Ethiopia unexplained and arguabily ilegal shares.

In that agreement there is no transparency nor are there built in mechanisms for assessment on the agreed upon terms and conditions, perhaps the Mogadishu port agreement could shet some light on how the Somaliland government can revisit it’s DP World agreement.