Hargeisa - The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Somaliland has approved the government's 2026 national budget forecast during its 43rd session held Thursday at the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa. The meeting was chaired by President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi "Cirro."

In addition to receiving a briefing on the country’s overall security situation from the State Minister for Interior and National Security, Cabdirashiid Mohamed Ahmed (Magaalo), the cabinet devoted the session to reviewing the proposed 2026 national budget.

Finance Minister Presents Record-High Budget Proposal

The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Abdillahi Hassan Aadan, delivered a detailed presentation on the draft budget, accompanied by the Accountant General, the Director General of the Ministry, and senior officials from the Budget Department.

According to the minister, the 2026 national budget will be the 35th budget in Somaliland’s history and the largest the country has ever proposed. He stated that the budget prioritises strengthening social services, reinforcing national defence and security, upgrading economic infrastructure, and safeguarding economic and fiscal stability.

The minister also highlighted improvements in fiscal performance, noting that previous budgets from 2022, 2023, and 2024 experienced an average deficit of 11 per cent. In contrast, revenue projections for 2026 indicate a 22 percent increase compared to the 2024 budget, effectively eliminating the earlier deficit while reflecting an additional 11 percent revenue growth.

Budget Figures

The minister outlined the following key figures:

• Central Government Budget for 2026: 2,866,183,568,109 Somaliland Shillings
• Central Government Budget for 2025: 2,593,431,251,887 Somaliland Shillings
• Year-on-year increase: 272,752,316,222 Somaliland Shillings (11%)

The full 2026 national budget—combining central government spending, local government budgets, donor-funded projects, and revenue-generating agencies—totals:

• 4,584,959,018,356 Somaliland Shillings

The breakdown of allocations is as follows:

1. Central Government: 63%
2. Local Governments: 12%
3. World Bank & African Development Bank–funded projects: 17%
4. Public revenue-generating agencies: 8%

Budget Passed by Overwhelming Majority

After the presentation, the Finance Minister formally requested approval from the cabinet so the budget could be submitted to the House of Representatives on schedule. President Cirro then called for a vote by a show of hands.