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Who does what in Somalia's investment institutions

Bulshadaa isu keentay · POLICY · 12 min read · 2026-09-29

Waxaa isu keenay wax-ku-biiriyayaal bulsho iyagoo ka duulaya ilo dadweyne. Tirooyinku waxay noqon karaan qiyaaso — si madax-bannaan u xaqiiji ka hor inta aadan ku tiirsan.

Tusmada
  1. Summary
  2. Where Xidig members may contribute
  3. Possible services, research, supplier or collaboration roles
  4. Who may find this useful
  5. Who does what
  6. Dependencies and implementation constraints
  7. Risks and unknowns
  8. Questions members should verify before acting
  9. What is confirmed, and what isn't
  10. Relevant next steps
  11. More about the source
  12. Related reports
  13. About this report
  14. Sources

Which public bodies an investor in Somalia will meet: the planning ministry, SOMINVEST, the line ministries and the regulators, and how federal and member-state roles fit together.

Not legal or investment advice. Independent guide to a government publication and official sources. The Government of Somalia has not endorsed it. Institutions, names and mandates change; check before relying on any detail. Last checked 29 September 2026.

Summary

Anyone planning a project in Somalia will deal with several public bodies, not just one. The planning ministry (MoPIED) leads national planning; its investment promotion office, SOMINVEST, promotes investment and helps investors; line ministries lead their sectors; and separate regulators cover company registration, tax, banking, telecoms, electricity, petroleum, standards and medicines. Member states may also have a say.

What Xidig found:

  • SOMINVEST's status is changing. It was set up under the 2015 Foreign Investment Law. A new Somalia Investment Law, approved by the Upper House in November 2025, would make it a formal agency with a National Investment Council; Xidig found no confirmation that the law has been signed.
  • A board approves foreign investment under the 2015 law. The Foreign Investment Board is chaired by the Director General of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and SOMINVEST implements its decisions. Xidig could not confirm how often the Board meets in practice.
  • Capacity is limited. The US State Department (2025) says SOMINVEST's implementation capacity remains limited.
  • Ports involve several bodies. Most port-related proposals are co-promoted by the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, while the Ports Authority operates under the separate Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport.
  • Member states may be involved. The Provisional Constitution says natural-resource allocation is negotiated between the federal government and member states, and some states have their own investment or company rules.

For members, the practical lesson: a proposal's promoter is where to ask first, but a real project will need several other authorities.

Each of the 37 proposals on the government's investment list is promoted by SOMINVEST with one of twelve line ministries (Public Works has the most, six), or with a private investor for the two manufacturing sheets; details are under More about the source.

Where Xidig members may contribute

  • Keep the map current: members working with ministries or regulators can report changes in names, mandates or contacts.
  • Institutional knowledge: members with public-administration experience can explain how approvals work in practice.
  • Policy research: comparing Somalia's investment institutions with regional peers.

Possible services, research, supplier or collaboration roles

  • A maintained directory of investment-related institutions, with legal bases and official links.
  • Research on how long approvals take across federal and member-state authorities.
  • Training for officials on investor services, if invited.

Who may find this useful

  • Investors and diaspora entrepreneurs working out who to contact.
  • Lawyers, accountants and consultants.
  • Journalists and researchers following investment policy.
  • Students of public administration.

Who does what

The planning ministry and the investment office

MoPIED.

  • Mandate: the ministry says it "spearheads the overarching national planning, investment promotion, and economic coordination", working "in close coordination with the Federal Member States as well as national and international development and humanitarian partners".
  • Structure: its website lists departments including Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation, Investment Promotion, Aid Coordination and Economic Development.
  • The national plan: the Planning department is "the central coordinating entity for national planning processes" and has an NTP Coordination Section. See The National Transformation Plan 2025–2029 in brief.

SOMINVEST today.

  • Legal basis: SOMINVEST describes itself as "a statutory body established under Article 6 (sections 1-8) of the Foreign Investment Law of 2015".
  • Purpose: to "promote foreign investment; rebrand Somalia; facilitate investment entry and retain; and continuously advocate for improved investment policies".
  • Sections: investment promotion; investment facilitation and support; brand and communication; research and policy advocacy.
  • Who approves investments under the 2015 law: a Foreign Investment Board, which "shall approve proposed foreign investment". The Board is chaired by the Director General of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and includes senior officials from several ministries, the Central Bank and the Chamber of Commerce. SOMINVEST implements its decisions and advises investors. Xidig could not confirm how often the Board meets in practice.
  • Capacity: the US State Department (2025) says SOMINVEST is "tasked with promoting investment, assisting investors, and coordinating with FMS authorities", and that "implementation capacity remains limited".

SOMINVEST under the new law.

  • On 29 November 2025 the Upper House approved the Somalia Investment Law (2025). According to SONNA, it establishes "the Somalia Investment Promotion Agency (SOMINVEST) under the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development and the National Investment Council". SOMINVEST's own announcement mentions "one-stop shops to streamline investment procedures".
  • Signature: SOMINVEST's announcement said the law would take effect "Once assent into law by … the President", and FTL Somalia reported that, having passed both houses, it "now awaits presidential signature to take effect". A September 2026 news report says legislation "enacted in December" 2025 created a Somalia Investment Agency and a National Investment Council. However, a planning ministry document dated 10 February 2026 still refers to the law's "anticipated enactment". Xidig has not seen the signed text, and could not confirm whether it replaces the 2015 law.
  • Names: sources differ on the new body's name ("Somalia Investment Promotion Agency" or "Somalia Investment Agency"). A September 2026 news report refers to the director general of the "Somalia Investment Agency"; Xidig has not confirmed the change.

Other bodies an investor meets

NeedBodyBasis and role
Registering a companyMinistry of Commerce and IndustryRuns the online Somali Business Registration and Licensing System (launched 2022, per the US State Department); the Companies Act 2019 is posted on its site
Tax, budget, exemptionsMinistry of Finance"Devising and administering economic and financial policy"; publishes the Income Tax Manual for the 2025 income tax law
Public tendersDepartment of Public Procurement, Ministry of FinanceAwards federal tenders
Concessions and PPPsMinistry of Finance (Concession Technical Unit)Under the Public Procurement, Concessions and Disposal Act 2015; a draft PPP law was before Parliament in 2025 (US State Department)
Banks, money transfer, mobile moneyCentral Bank of SomaliaRegulates the financial sector under the Central Bank Act 2011; publishes lists of licensed banks, money transfer and mobile money providers
Telecoms, internet, broadcastingNational Communications AuthorityEstablished by the Communications Act 2017
ElectricityNational Electricity AuthorityRegulator created under the Electricity Act; see Somalia's Electricity Act 2023, explained
Oil and gasSomali Petroleum AuthorityEstablished July 2020 under the Petroleum Law
Product standardsSomali Bureau of Standards"Established in 2020 under the Standards and Quality Control Act No. 27 of 2020"
MedicinesNational Medicines Regulatory Authority (interim)Registers and inspects medical products; see Making medicines locally
Visas and residenceImmigration and Citizenship AgencyRuns the e-visa system (since September 2025) and residence permits; also lists work permits among its services
Work permitsMinistry of Labour and Social AffairsThe Foreign Employment Act 2015 requires its permission before a foreigner works; the government services portal lists permit fees
PortsSomali Ports Authority"An autonomous public corporation operating under the Federal Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport"
Business networksSomali Chamber of Commerce and IndustryPrivate-sector chamber; sits on the 2015 law's Foreign Investment Board

A point to note on ports. Most port-related proposals (deep seaports, port modernisation, fishing jetties and the dry dock) are co-promoted by the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, and the fishing-ports sheet by the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy. The Ports Authority operates under the separate Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport, so port investors should expect to deal with several bodies.

Federal and member-state roles

  • Natural resources: the 2012 Provisional Constitution says the allocation of natural resources "shall be negotiated by, and agreed upon, by the Federal Government and the Federal Member States" (Article 44).
  • Federal powers: foreign affairs, defence, citizenship and immigration, and monetary policy are reserved to the federal government (Article 54). Other powers are shared or negotiated. The constitution has since been amended; check the current text.
  • Member-state institutions: member states have their own planning and commerce ministries, and some have their own investment or company rules. For example, Puntland has a Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation.
  • What this means: approvals for a project may involve both federal and member-state authorities. Xidig takes no position on how powers should be divided.

Dependencies and implementation constraints

  • The new investment law and its regulations.
  • Coordination between ministries, regulators and member states.
  • Capacity in agencies that are still being built.

Risks and unknowns

  • Changing mandates: laws, agency names and ministries change, and official web pages are not always updated.
  • Overlapping authority between ministries, and between federal and member-state bodies.
  • Political change: institutional arrangements can shift with political events. Check the current position before acting.

Questions members should verify before acting

  1. Has the 2025 Somalia Investment Law been signed, and which body now registers foreign investment?
  2. Which ministry and which regulator are responsible for your sector?
  3. Does the project need member-state approvals, and from whom?
  4. Is the Foreign Investment Board still the approving body?

What is confirmed, and what isn't

Confirmed

  • The promoter named on each of the 37 sheets.
  • MoPIED's and SOMINVEST's stated mandates and SOMINVEST's legal basis in the 2015 law.
  • The Upper House's approval of the 2025 investment law.
  • The legal bases of the regulators listed, from their own websites.
  • The current names of 11 ministries, from their own websites. The Public Works, Health, Education and Youth and Sports names are as printed in the booklet; the health ministry now appears as the Ministry of Health and Human Services.

Our interpretation

  • Promoters are the right first contact; a project will need several other authorities.

Not yet verified

  • Presidential assent to the 2025 investment law, and the new agency's exact name.
  • How the Foreign Investment Board works in practice.
  • The current national aid-coordination arrangements.
  • The status of the draft PPP law in 2026.

Relevant next steps

  • Contact SOMINVEST and the co-promoting ministry named on the relevant sheet.
  • Check the regulator's own website for licensing rules.
  • Ask about member-state requirements early.

More about the source

The government's investment booklet, Bankable Projects 2026–2030 (MoPIED / SOMINVEST), is one of the sources for this report. The details it gives are summarised here as printed.

Who promotes the 37 proposals (booklet promoter lines, each together with SOMINVEST):

Co-promoterSheetsProposals
Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing6Roads, trade corridors, deep seaports, fishing jetties, port modernisation, dry dock
Ministry of Energy and Water Resources5HFO power plants, off-grid solar, a solar farm (with an electricity company), solar panel manufacturing (with a private panel maker), the national electricity company
Ministry of Health4Regional hospitals, medicines, referral hospitals, cancer centre
Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range3Meat processing, dairy, poultry (a private firm is the listed contact)
Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy3Fishing vessels, processing hubs, fishing ports
Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education3Skills, digital learning, school buildings
Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation2Seed, fodder
Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation2Regional airports, new Mogadishu airport
Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources2National oil company, gas processing
Ministry of Communications and Technology2Telecoms, e-government and data centres
Ministry of Youth and Sports2Mogadishu Stadium, five new stadiums
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change1Mogadishu waste management
A private investor (no ministry named)2Cooking oil, PET preforms

How the booklet describes the two lead bodies.

  • MoPIED is "the government institution charged with shaping Somalia's socio-economic vision & translating it into practical policy actions" (p.6).
  • SOMINVEST was "established under the 2015 Foreign Investment Law to attract, facilitate and retain domestic & foreign investment in Somalia" (p.7).

Other contacts listed (p.10): MoPIED, SOMINVEST, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Immigration and Citizenship Agency.

  • Primary source: MoPIED / SOMINVEST, Bankable Projects 2026–2030, posted 19 Nov 2025. MoPIED at PDF p.6, SOMINVEST at p.7, member states at p.9, contacts at p.10, promoters on each fact sheet (pp.13–95).
  • Names in this report are those of institutions, not individuals.

About this report

By Xidig members and collaborators.

Project codes. Codes such as EN-04 or AG-05 are Xidig's own shorthand for the booklet's fact sheets, by sector; the booklet itself does not number its projects.

How we researched it. We read the full 97-page booklet and checked every figure, page reference and quotation used here against it. We then compared the booklet's claims with the official, international, academic and news sources listed below, and we say where they differ. We did not interview anyone for this report.

Corrections. If you spot an error, please tell us using the correction link on this page.

Sources

Primary

Supporting

Source notes

  • Ministry names were checked on each ministry's website on 29 Sep 2026: motca.gov.so, mpmt.gov.so, moewr.gov.so, mopmr.gov.so, mfbe.gov.so, molfr.gov.so, moecc.gov.so, moct.gov.so, moa.gov.so, moci.gov.so and mof.gov.so.