MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A senior opposition leader and Wadajir party head Abdirahman Abdishakur said on Wednesday that Somalia’s government had arrested the directors of four hospitals for refusing to enforce a directive requiring patients to pay VAT tax on mobile money transactions.
“The directors of Shafi, Kalkaal, Somali Sudanese, and Mogadishu hospitals have been detained for three days following their refusal to enforce VAT tax on mobile money transactions for patients,” Abdishakur said.
“The government is now requiring patients who are paying out-of-pocket for their healthcare to pay taxes, despite having failed to provide them with free health services,” he added.
In a blistering attack on the government of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Abdishakur stressed that “this is not about tax or governance; it is extortion and ransom, reminiscent of the era of warlords.”
