Recently I bought a few cans of green beans from a seemingly premium grocery shop in Garowe. Shortly after, I removed the label paper from one of the cans bought to find out the container is covered by rust. You can guess it was dangerous goods not even fit for animal consumption.
I do recall that Puntland State had had all laws in place, mostly issued by the First House of Representatives from 1998. Moreover, Puntland Constitution stipulates that, in the case that there were no particular Puntland legislation, the State draws it from 1960 Somali Constitution.
Under Puntland municipality laws, expired and banned products shouldn’t be on sale. Markets, shops, groceries and restaurants are subject to regular checks for violations. These are all drawn from public policy, evaluation and implementation. Does Puntland have Public policy?
Under existing Puntland laws, there are huge industrial products banned to import through ports of entry. A plastic bag is among them, for example. These laws are collecting dust in the shelves of Puntland public institutions. One cannot export breeding herds as well as sick ones to protect our livestock markets. The list of banned import/exports is long and exhaustive. They require enforcement and seriousness to protect public health. Sometimes, one is tempted to ask the question: Whose country is this? Remember, Somalia had failed in 1991 when no one could claim it. Every national used to wake up in the morning and hit the road to steal, loot and bribe for their own selfish gains until the whole public system had collapsed. Have we learned anything?
[This article was updated after posting].
