Somaliland holds about three million of inhabitants. Majority of the people live in rural areas, rearing livestock and cultivating land. They economically depend on production of the livestock and farms. They usually use Somaliland shilling cash as their regular money. Telesom declared it will use Somaliland shilling as electronic money. This will dreadfully affect the income of the rural communities.
The electronic money is not only risky to the rural communities, but also to the poor citizens living in the cities. For instance, Zaad Service bankrupted many small business persons. Two years ago Sub-stations were the most famous places that people recharge their telephones. However, as the Zaad services have appeared, people abstained from going to Sub-stations, and simply recharge their telephones electronically.
Zaad was like a fatal catastrophe for the small business people. Imaging how many people closed their Sub-stations. They were poor, but got poorer. Many parents could not afford paying the fee of their children. It is obvious Telesom is exploiting on poor, sucking blood. The worst thing is nobody is substantially paying attention to them.
Is There any Advantage in Using Electronic Money?
Some people may argue that using electronic money is a simple way of exchange. They also mention it is effortless way to store money. But this is nothing compared to its awful influences on the poor.
More than that, the legitimacy of using electronic money is in question. Managing and controlling of electronic money is no place in the national constitution. Therefore exchanging money from a cell-phone to another is no longer legal. In other words it is not different from forgery money. Exploiting on poor by an illegal system is, indeed, a curse.
How Can SLSHL Zaad affect Citizens whose Jobs are Exchanging Currencies?
Thousands of people work on exchanging foreign currencies and Somaliland Shillings. If Telesom does this, changing Somaliland Shilling to electronic money is making many citizens jobless. In every street in Somaliland cities, one can see fathers and mothers having small tables, exchanging currencies.
These citizens will go with empty hands when Telesom starts using electronic Somaliland Shilling. People will just automatically exchange between currencies using their telephones. Again, exploiting and sucking blood of the poor citizens is the mission.
The Central Bank Must Involve the Electronic SLSHL
The central bank is the governmental branch which is responsible currencies and their management. It is of the bank’s duties to monitor and tackle economical circumstances. Considering economical situations of all parts of the society is a fair way to avoid oppressions and exploiting on poor. Central bank has any power to highlight and stand against the illegitimacy of SLSHL Zaad and its critical influences.
Why SLSHL Zaad?
Telesom, sometimes, takes parts some helping-poor projects, though not enough compared to what it gets from the poor. However, SLSHL Zaad is kind of proof for Telesom’s not caring and selfish traits. Telesom’s officials just blindly thought about their interests only by exhibiting this fatal project. They did not think about thousands of citizens that will miss their jobs. They did not think about school fee of numerous pupils who will be out of the schools as their parents get jobless. So it is people’s responsibility to not accept what is hurting them instead of helping.
Kadar Nouh Yonis
knyonis@gmail.com
Tooshnews.net
Hargeysa/Somaliland.
