Berbera January 17, 2023 (SD) -The customs office in Berbera has not been collecting taxes for the past three days, as traders who import goods through the port of Berbera have protested against new procedures implemented by the Ministry of Finance and Development of Somaliland.

Traders have been informed that they will be held responsible for any errors or irregularities that may occur in their transactions, whereas previously this responsibility was placed on customs employees.

The traders and importers at Berbera customs have strongly opposed the new procedures and argued that the Ministry of Finance is forcing them to be responsible for any irregularities including corruption.

The Ministry is now planning to hold talks with the traders in Hargeisa and Berbera to resolve the issue. The closure of the Berbera customs office has also affected the operations of the port.

The procedures issued by the Ministry of Finance took effect at the beginning of this year 2023.