Max Planck Foundation organises workshop on public finance and natural resources in federal systems for staff at the Ministry in Somalia
The Max Planck Foundation organised a workshop on 30 April 2016 for the Somali Ministry of Interior and Federal Affairs (MoIFA) on public finance and natural resources in federal systems. The workshop is part of a series of knowledge building training and was attended by 26 participants who work at the Ministry on questions directly or indirectly related to the federalisation process in Somalia.
This first major theme of the workshop concerned the regulation, management and administration of public finance in federal countries. Drawing on comparative experiences, participants were provided with a comprehensive insight into how federal countries address important elements of public finance, including governmental budget regimes, audit structures, and monetary policies. Under the guidance of the Max Planck Foundation’s Technical Legal Advisors, participants discussed the relevance of effective public finance structures for the strengthening of governmental accountability and stability at all levels of government.
The second topical focus of the workshop was on natural resources. The training delivered by Max Planck Foundation’s Technical Advisors explored essential issues such as ownership, management and sharing of natural resources in federal systems of government. In the context of Somalia, the equitable sharing of wealth between Federal Member States and the Federal Government, and the need for an appropriate framework for dealing with the revenue from natural resources, are central to the federalism debate.
During discussions facilitated by the Technical Advisors, particular consideration was given to cross-cutting and inter-related issues pertinent to both public finance and natural resources in Somalia. Based on comparative case studies provided in the course of the training, participants discussed some of the challenges that need yet to be resolved in the ongoing constitution and federalisation process in Somalia.
The training of the selected staff of the MoIFA in relation to public finance and natural resources will be especially relevant to enhance the capacity of the Ministry to effectively support the development of a federal framework that ensures government accountability and cooperative intergovernmental relations.