# Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Somalia: what it does

> What Somalia's federal commerce ministry does: company registration, trade licences, standards and trade policy; the eBusiness portal; who leads it; its budget 2025 to 2027; and its ministers since 2015.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/ministry-of-commerce-and-industry/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## What it does

The ministry "has overall responsibility for the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of Somalia's internal and external trade & manufacturing policy" ([eBusiness Somalia](https://ebusiness.gov.so/)). Its main services:

- **Company registration:** through the Somali Business Registration and Licensing System (SBRS), anyone can reserve a business name, incorporate a private or public limited company, register a foreign company and file the yearly return, online (same source).
- **Trade licences:** it issues the trade licence a business needs to operate, and its portal lets anyone check a business's registration or licence number (same source).
- **Standards:** the **[Somali Quality Assurance Agency](/en/institutions/somali-bureau-of-standards/)**, under the ministry, sets and checks product quality standards. It has its own budget line ([Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted](https://mof.gov.so/storage/documents/2026/11/xihvtskp/Appropriation%20Act%20for%202027%20Submitted%20to%20Parlement.pdf)).
- **Trade policy:** it leads Somalia's trade talks and trade promotion, and spoke at the 2026 national farm investment summit with the agriculture minister ([NAFIS 2026 communiqué](https://moa.gov.so/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NAFIS-2026-Communique-Final-17Aug.pdf)).

## Who leads it

**Gamal Mohamed Hassan** (also written [Jamaal](/en/society/biyomaal/) Mohamed Hassan) was appointed by Prime Minister [Hamza Abdi Barre](/en/people/hamza-abdi-barre/) on 13 December 2025, replacing Mahamud Geesood, and was sworn in by the House of the People ([SONNA, December 2025](https://sonna.so/en/prime-minister-hamza-abdi-barre-announces-cabinet-reshuffle-appoints-new-ministers-for-commerce-and-public-works/); [AllAfrica, December 2025](https://allafrica.com/stories/202512150409.html)). He was earlier Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development ([Goobjoog](https://en.goobjoog.com/ex-planning-minister-gamal-makes-a-comeback-in-cabinet-mini-reshuffle)). See [Ministry of Planning](/en/institutions/ministry-of-planning/).

**Earlier ministers**, from the list on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Industry_and_Trade_(Somalia)): Abdirahman Abdi Osman (until 2015), Abdirashid [Mohamed Ahmed](/en/people/skinz/) (from 2015), Khadra Ahmed Dualeh (2017 to 2018), Mohamed Abdi Hayir (from 2018) and Jibril Abdirashid Nur (from 2022).

## The money

From the federal budget ([Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted](https://mof.gov.so/storage/documents/2026/11/xihvtskp/Appropriation%20Act%20for%202027%20Submitted%20to%20Parlement.pdf)), where it is listed as "Ministry of Industry and Commerce":

| Line | 2025 actual (US$) | 2026 budget (US$) | 2027 proposed (US$) |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| Ministry | 2,454,973 | 2,523,834 | 2,583,774 |
| Somali Quality Assurance Agency | 1,314,880 | 1,463,216 | 1,493,516 |

On the income side, local company registrations brought in US$427,900 in 2025, and the budget expects US$1.41 million in 2027. Business and profession licences brought in US$922,075 in 2025 (same source). The African Development Bank's project to grow the Somali private sector and investment is budgeted at US$1.2 million for 2027 (same source).

## How to use it

- **Register a business:** go to [ebusiness.gov.so](https://ebusiness.gov.so/). The site lists 13 services, from name reservation to annual returns. Its office is on Mohamud Harbi Road, behind the National Theatre, Mogadishu (same source).
- **Check a business:** enter its business identification number (UBI) or licence number on the same site.
- See also [Starting a business](/en/economy/starting-a-business/) and [Investing in Somalia](/en/economy/investing-in-somalia/).

## How the work is shared

Each member state has its own ministry of commerce, which also licenses businesses. [Puntland](/en/states/puntland/) and [Somaliland](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/) run their own company registers.

## Its legal basis

The Company Law and the trade licensing rules it applies, and its mandate from the Council of Ministers under the 2012 Provisional Constitution, as amended in 2024 and 2026.

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