Mogadishu cracks down on businesses over unpaid billboard advertising

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Tuesday February 4, 2025

FILE - Billboards and advertising signs line a street in Mogadishu, Somalia CREDIT / Sign Jet Printing

Mogadishu (HOL) — Authorities in Mogadishu have launched a sweeping crackdown on businesses failing to pay advertising taxes, targeting those with unregistered billboards and signs. The Banadir Regional Administration says the move is necessary to address widespread tax evasion and visual clutter on the city’s main roads.

Banadir Regional Administration Tax Director Sowda Suudi, speaking during an inspection of Karaan and Waberi districts, said many businesses are evading the monthly advertising tax while continuing to benefit from prominent roadside displays. Her message to defaulters was unequivocal: unpaid ads will no longer be tolerated.

She added that some businesses had placed signs and billboards without following the proper procedures or registering them with the administration. “Some companies have mounted advertisements along the city’s streets without paying the applicable taxes. We now require all such businesses to register their advertisements and make the necessary payments,” she explained.

Suudi added that businesses promoting themselves without proper registration are depriving the city of revenue and warned of stricter enforcement. “We will not allow businesses to exploit public spaces without paying their share. The tax revenue we collect is essential for maintaining public services and improving infrastructure,” she said.

The Banadir administration has announced plans to intensify inspections across all districts of the capital in the coming weeks. Officials warned that any business failing to comply with tax requirements or register its advertisements will have its signage removed and could receive a fine.

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