Business
Somaliland: Vice president officially opens International Business Expo
December 17, 2011 · 20 Comments
HARGEISA — Somaliland Vice President Abdirahman A. Ismail officially inaugurated the Somaliland Business Fair expo on Saturday in Hargeisa to promote entrepreneurship and strengthen public-private dialogue. The conference was jointly organized by Somaliland Business Fair committee and the private sector including OGF, Dahabshiil, SomCable and others. The five day event is expected to showcase Somaliland’s growing private industries and the newest products available in the local market.
Along with VP Abdirahman A. Ismail, the opening ceremony was attended by officials from Commerce, Finance, Fisheries, Planning, Livestock Husbandry, Education, Mayor of Hargeisa, local and international Businessmen, other foreign VIPs, MPs of Parliament, officials from independent organizations and ordinary citizens.
The event registered one hundred Companies from Somaliland and the neighboring Ethiopia and Djibouti. According to the organizers, 70 percent of the companies were locally based and they consisted of start-up to established large corporations. It was the largest such event to be held in the country to date. The Chairman of Somaliland Business Fair (SBF), Mr. Ali Mohamed Yusuf, briefed the attendees that the event has been initiated and organized by group of four youths and he thanked them for their endeavor. The Mayor of Hargeisa Eng. Hussein Mohamud Ji’ir said he was upbeat that such large Fair took place in Somaliland and that it was an honor and pleasure for him that the event was held in Hargeisa.
The CEO of Dahabshiil Mr. Abdirashiid Mohamed said that his Company remains ready for the progress of the country. He added that he was pleased in attending this Fair and that it was an honor to present Dahabshiil products and services to the public. “Being Dahabshiil, we hail whatever is useful for the country and we are interested in investing our country that is peaceful and needs investment projects and economy,” he said. SomCable manager, Mr. Yusuf Hussein Abdulla also said that it was noteworthy the people and the youth who worked on the Fair. He said that it showed that unity and solidarity can create such initiatives if people join hands together.
Somaliland Chairman of Chamber of Commerce Mr. Mohamed Shukri made speech at the event and said that the Business Fair sends clear message that Somaliland achieved progress. “I ask the almighty Allah that those young individuals set good example and others will follow suit and we welcome such this initiative” he said.
Somaliland Commerce Minister Mr. Abdirisak Khalif Ahmed speaking at the Fair said that youth made useful enterprises and put forward large Business Fair. He congratulated the youth, organizers and the private-public sector. He concluded by stating that the conference will give all businesses, emerging and established, the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the Somaliland public.
Finally, Somaliland Vice President Mr. Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail spoke at the ceremony and said that it is great honor for the government that such huge business Fair opens in the country. He told that Somaliland is more developed in business and democracy compared to many countries in the region. He acknowledged that this will open doors when it comes to Somaliland business. “It will facilitate trade ties between locals, regional and international enterprises on a business-to-business levels. The expihibition showcases Somaliland’s progress and stability,” he cited. He thanked the youth that spearheaded the event.
Somalilandpress
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By Mo Guled
Tags: Businss in Somaliland, Somaliland, Somalilandpress
Readers Comments (20)
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WOW lovely this opens the window to investment in Somaliland, oh I wish I was there :S
What investment are you talking?
Don't lose your money!
Your answer shows real itnleleignce.
I agree.
By the way, is Yemen attending this year?
They did a good job last year.
This will create the right atmosphere and business culture in the country. I support this initiative by the Somaliland private sector and their friends.
The least the government can do is give them a land to build an Exhibition Centre which they can also make income through lease and taxes. There should be kind of union between the two, land from the gov (but not for ownership), private sector builds the infra and the gov generates income through the lease of the land.
Having been to Hargeisa myself, the youth are very hard working and the saying that they chew qat is totally a myth. Some of the oldies chew and its not as popular as one thinks.
The youth attend schools from 6am to 12pm then they swoop shift and new kids go to school in the afternoon.
They usually sale all kinds of things from clothing to food, they do laboring work, construction, work on buses, etc.
I have seen a kid no older than 15 driving his father's truck (a cargo truck) carrying no less than 100 people and their cargo to other regions of Somaliland.
The kids in Somaliland are far mature than those McDonald's rised kids in the West.
If you have teenage kids my advice is send them to Somaliland for three months, let them learn from the tough, hard working kids back home.
These kids are driven kids and they owned my respect.
The event organisers should try to get sponsors and members (companies) to help fund the expansion of the event in the future.
They should have member companies, VIPs and sponsors. Those three levels of engagement with the private entities should help the event access much needed funds.
The government should also fund it, if they don't, don't invite them.
Many things of what you say are helpful. BTW I take it that you are in the UAE or somewhere in the GCC?
If so, how do you see the ways and their sponsorship strategies could be introduced in Somaliland?
In generally broader contexts how do you envisage the GCC systems of dealing with the outside
World. Somaliland should have more regularly frequent contacts with the GCC to gain more experiences
from their progress to have become modern geopolitics in such short decades.
Cheers.
mashaAllah I am proud as a somali to see my brothers/sisters in Hargeisa doing good and developing their city.
lets offers our prayers to our southern somali bro/sis that they follow the footsteps of somaliland.
well done guys!!!
Is this the real geezer? I don't believe it!! Someone else must be using his name.
come on man im not a hater, my wife is issaq plz.
maybe he is having a little break before launching another malice lol or shall i say hmm maybe his issaq sweet heart is finally bringing some soundness to him kkk thumbs up geezer to this comment despite what was and what will follow it
Oh and you said Somaliland and not snm stooge :) lol
He is MJ. They hide their true color when they want something from you. Never genuine. Never from the heart. Now he is throwing around his wife to win little sympathy. Typical MJ.
woow Business Fair committee, good work..
Mohamed Cheers,
No I am not in the GCC, I was there only for transit when I was in Dubai. Like yourself I am in the West.
Well the event can attract sponsorships by many ways; first it has to come up with a win-win formula. Money for them coverage and exposure for their client/sponsor. That means, if it was me, the first thing I would do is approach all Somaliland media platforms and make some deal with them to cover the event and help promote the event in return you give them a small per centage of the sponsorship money.
You ask the media to help you expose the sponsors and help promote their products.
A lot of companies in Somaliland and from the region are desperate for coverage and exposure.
I would divide the sponsorship money into three parts; event, media and promotional items including t-shirts, banners, etc.
50% event, 20% media, 20% promotion and 10% security.
I would try to get at least $5000 from each major sponsorship…if you have ten sponsors, there is $50,000 for you. You can do so much with $50k in Somaliland.
This is of course a year long planned event, it's not just like one time thing, each company can pay $1000 a month for the next five months (6 months before the event).
I would even pay $5000 to regional media (from Kenya, Ethiopia) to help promote the event. They would be loving it.
1: $5000 sponsorship (comes with space, banners, media ads (five months contract with Somalilandpress for example, give the poor Spress $1000 (20%), free beverages for all guests including company employees)
2: $2000 membership (space and few banners), limit to amount of products they can showcase, access to certain areas of the expihibition
3: VIP = $6000 ( 8 months to pay, prime location in the exhibition floor, VIP seats for the CEOs, introducing them to regional and international businesses by giving them access to other CEOs (gotto create an exclusive zone/room(s))…give them the ability to showcase ALL their products and services..give them one-on-one to address Somaliland television stations…etc
Like our president said Somaliland is the genuine democracy in the region. The situation in the Horn of Africa makes international business people very careful and convince them better not to get involved in that region of Africa. What is needed? The right policy! Our government should devise a plan how to solve the problems that endanger the peace inside the country and in the region (i.e. Ogaden, Somalia including Puntland). The world is enthused about Africa´s economical development. But the companies which deliberate to invest in an African country will before it thinks about viability and profits examine accurately the risks. When all problems are solved and there is no potential for insecurity in all neighboring countries Somaliland will benefit the most.
Regulate, oversee, hold accountable, but don't get in the way of business and private enterprise. As they say, " A rising tide lifts all boats". Economic success depends on small business flourishing and creating employment. Having said, we in Somaliland really need to get our tax code and auditing process going.
MAASHA ALAH WAA WAX ALAGU FARXO OO LAGA FAAIDAYSTO
AROOS MAAGANOW KA FAAIDAYSO FURSADAN DAHABIGAAAA!!!!
Remember, how I said you gotto sort out the place and have different zones, membership and status.
Here is an example from China International Food Exhibition 2012. I hope this gives you ideas.
Exhibition booths and fees:
◆Raw Space:USD300/㎡(the minimum area is 18㎡) (Raw space will be charged construction management fees: RMB28/㎡, No facilities will be offered to Raw space)
◆Luxury Booth: USD3000/booth(9 m2)corner booth will be charged 10% extra fee
Facilities: Two/three partitions, name banner(signage), 1 reception desk, 1display cabinet,1 glass round table, 4chairs, 1dustbin, 2 lamps,two or three displays, 1 1electric socket(220V,500W),
The 11th China(Guangzhou) International Food Exhibition
And Guangzhou Import Food Exhibition 2012
On-site and other advertisements:
Front cover: full-color page including figures and utexts, RMB 28,000/per (130*210mm)
Advertisements on Rainbow arch: for advertisement: RMB8,000 for each one(18m width)
Back cover: full-color page including figures and texts, RMB20,000/per u(130*210mm)
Air Balloon RMB7000 for each one
The second front cover : RMB12,000/per(130*210mm)
Printing advertisement out of the exhibition hall(Price can be available upon request)
The second back cover: RMB12,000/per(130*210mm)
Rent for meeting room (Price can be available upon request)
The third front cover: uRMB13,000/per(130*210mm)
Advertisement on exhibitors/visitors card: RMB 10,000(210*90mm)
Inside color page: full-color page including figures and texts follows the front paper, uRMB6,000/per (130*210mm)
Advertisement on tickets: RMB 5000/10000 sheets(210*90mm)
Inside white and black page: white and black page including figures and texts follows the inside ucolor page RMB 3,000/per (130*210mm)