Hiiraan Online
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Hundreds of residents in the farming town of Afgoye blocked roads on Monday in protest against high taxes introduced by the region’s administration and insecurity including robbery allegedly committed by government.
The large protest has brought the town’s usual bustling businesses to standstill as angry protesters threw stones and metal objects at the town’s local administration offices.
“We can’t bear with this anymore – please stop it.” Read a placard carried by one protester.
The agricultural town produces one quarter of the country’s fruits, making it significant revenue for the Somali government; however, the town’s resident who are mostly poor farmers expressed concern over the high taxation which they warned could force them to stop farming.
The farmers in the town say the ouster of Islamist militants whom they accused of imposing high taxes on their farming business didn’t bring a better change, accusing the government of making their life misery by hiking the taxes.
Mohamed Hassan, a lead protestor in the town said that the new tax rates are hurting their businesses and crippling the town’s economic growth.
“They just tax our businesses the way they wish – they deprived us of our rights.” He said.