Members of Somalia’s 11th Parliament will hold a special session on Monday to discuss a motion signed by several parliamentarians concerning a new tax introduced by the Ministry of Finance.

Some legislators submitted the motion to their leadership, arguing that the tax places an additional burden on the residents of Mogadishu. They believe that the tax should have been reviewed by the Parliamentary Finance Committee before being implemented.

Other parliamentarians have raised concerns that there is no unified stance between the Federal Government and the Federal Member States regarding this tax. They suggest that the issue should be addressed at the grassroots level first.

The motion comes after the Ministry of Finance directed businesses to implement a 5% sales tax, leading to the closure of major markets in Mogadishu today as traders protested by halting their activities. The outcome of tomorrow’s session will determine whether the new tax will be upheld or rejected by the Parliament.