Mohamed Abdi Osman, Puntland’s Minister of Ports, was grilled by parliament today over the Bosaso seaport deal.
Lawmakers in the country’s northeastern Federal State Parliament summoned the minister to face them and answer questions on the expansion work going on at the seaport.
They also sought answers for the concerns they have on how the Bosaso Port is being managed.
The Federal Parliament has been examining the port deal after reports indicating that P&O Ports had not undertaken any meaningful development at the facility since 2017.
P&O Ports is a subsidiary of a UAE firm known as DP World. It entered the scene in 2017 when it won the tender for developing and managing the port.
Ex-President Abdiwali Mohamed Ali signed a concession agreement lasting 30 years with the freight company three years ago.
Parliament later ratified the agreement, which is worth a stunning $336 million.
Had P&O Ports played its role properly, the port would have helped to open up Somalia to more investments and development.
During Wednesday’s session with parliamentarians, Osman said that P&O Ports is scheduled to meet with the Puntland administration to discuss several issues.
He promised to enlighten the legislators more after the meeting between the firm and the leadership of Somalia’s semiautonomous state.