Today, November 15th, 2018 at the AfricaCom Award, in South Africa, where all Telecommunication companies across Africa and the World has attended to choose the CEO of the Year 2018. At this Ceremony of AfricaCom Award Hon Abdikarim Mohamed Eid has been appointed as The CEO of the Year.
What this means is an Acknowledgement of a great achievement, great leadership and un-disputable acceptance of the Number One CEO in Africa as Hon Abdikarim Mohamed Eid for the year 2018.
Those of us who live in Somaliland and its surroundings remember the process the Telecommunication in Somaliland has go through over the years, especially Telesom.
Telesom company was always committed to provide an excellent service for their customers and never failed to deliver and maintained the rank of Number One Telecommunication company in the Somaliland.
The management of Telecom has overcome many difficulties over the years, from being banned to use the Satellites which brought all their international calls, Internets access and all other means of international connections to a halt. Even the Local Telcom Operators disconnect the private lines of Telesom’s CEO, with the intention of bringing Telesom down. Eventual, Telesom bought most of these Telcom companies and owns them along with their properties now.
The different Administrations of Somaliland Governments had their share of positive and negative impact on Telesom’s past. We must never forget the peace, law and order that Somaliland enjoys had a major impact on the success of Telesom, which of course we thank to our Lord and salute the governments of Somaliland for their role.
What is truly unconceivable is why Somaliland and its government does not appreciate its success stories?
The strangest thing is, while the Whole World recognizes and shows its appreciation of the Great achievements that Telesom has made with their talented and wise management, the government of Somaliland looks the other way.
The Government of Somaliland needs to know, that Telesom is:
– The largest employer in Somaliland after the government.
– It pays the largest amount of tax that anyone company pays the government.
– Telesom has the largest number of local shareholders in comparison to any one company in Somaliland.
It provides one of the largest Capital Investments into the economy, through Salaam Bank.
Telesom brought Somaliland into the World Map like no any other organization has, with Bill Gate recommending Telesom as an example for other companies to follow.
Telesom is the largest contributor to the social development of Somaliland. Telesom operates in every Region, City and districts of Somaliland.
Telesom provide Telecom Network across the country, which not only provides Data and Voices, but Zaad System which enables everyone to transfer funds to any location in Somaliland or the World.
Those are the tip of the iceberg to the positive contributions that Telesom and their associate bring to this country and its people. Government protect their companies, provides them with incentives and encourages them to succeed. For example, the India Government has excepted all taxes from TATA Company for their success in creating large number of new jobs ever year.
All the above and more contributes to the development of the country and the government of Somaliland ability to run the country smoothly.
In contrast to the India Government, the different Administrations of Somaliland at different times has imposed the following without considering the ramifications of their actions, not to mention those actions being illegal:
Law was Passed, which granted one company the exclusive right to provide Viber Optic in Somaliland alone. (Monopoly) Passing a law that grants one of competitors of Telesom the exclusive right to dig trenches to bury their wires alone. (Monopoly) Riyal’s Administration has tried to introduce an equipment that was supposed to spying on Telesom. (This has failed) The current Administration is trying to duplicate the above mission and its already known before it happens.
A law is passed which puts restrictions on the operations of the Zaad, according to the Government it was the Zaad that has created inflation. The law is implemented, but the inflation has worsened, because Zaad maintains Account, just like regular banks.
All the above and more has only made Telesom stronger and extremely competent, with ability to combat any given situation. With all that injustices, Telesom has always remained neutral to all the different Political Parties and affiliations, imagine if they sided with one? But the sad part is the system that was to protect its own companies and people, who are working hard to undermine them.
Conclusion:
The authorities in Somaliland should go back to their drawing boards, they have many pressing issues to address, from poverty, unemployment, droughts, lack of infrastructure, lack of Services that governments are expected to provide to their citizens, Security Issues, Inflation, economic down fall to the lack of wise Foreign Policies.
For a healthy and prosperous country, its Government requires simply to have an open and honest dialogue with the private sector and clarify any issues that the Administration might have with any particular company. This would build trust and harmony on both sides.
To initiate the above, the administration needs to recruit people that understands the dynamics of the economy and speaks the language of the business community. Of course, a lot of other factors need to be introduced to turn the economy around, but this would be a major step at the right direction. Any other way would be waste of time and might lead to unnecessary disasters.
It’s ever Government’s duty to protects its people and organizations at all costs, especially the business organizations, which are the backbone of every Nation and every economy.
May God Lead us at the right direction.
Mohamed Wardi Ibrahim