Sunday September 7, 2025
FILE — Puntland Finance Minister Mohamed Farah Mahmoud addresses officials in Garowe, Somalia. Mahmoud has recently come under criticism after saying road construction projects take priority over paying civil servants’ salaries.
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland’s finance minister, Mohamed Farah Mahmoud, has drawn fierce backlash after saying road construction is more important than paying the salaries of government employees.
“Roads are more important to us than their salaries,” Mahmoud said, sparking widespread anger among civil servants and on social media. Many described the comment as insulting and evidence of what they called the government’s mistreatment of its workforce.
The controversy comes as civil servants report they have not been paid for six months this year and have also lost allowance payments. The delays have fueled repeated protests by members of the security forces, who say the government has failed to address their grievances.
When pressed about the wage dispute, Mahmoud denied that his ministry had withheld salaries but offered no clear explanation for the months-long delays or the growing discontent among security forces.
The unrest highlights mounting financial strains in Puntland and has intensified pressure on the government, which now faces criticism not only from its employees but also from the wider public, who see unpaid workers and unpaid soldiers as a threat to stability.