By Dayib Sh. Ahmed

Since 2019, Puntland’s financial management has undergone its most significant restructuring in decades. Changes were made to the way annual budgets are prepared, the types of revenue considered, and the methods used to project future income. On paper, these reforms were intended to modernize fiscal planning and improve transparency. In reality, they created a system that is difficult to manage, unreliable, and—most concerning—easily manipulated to mislead the public. recent years, I have observed developments with close scrutiny and have repeatedly cautioned that the public was being misinformed. I was not the sole party to issue such warnings. Analysts, civil servants, and concerned citizens repeatedly cautioned that competing revenue figures were being used to confuse the public, that the government was building budgets on assumptions that had no solid basis, that revenue from foreign-funded projects was being treated as domestic income, and that real societal needs were being ignored in favor of political optics. These warnings were ignored.

The consequences of this mismanagement are now impossible to ignore. The Puntland Cabinet recently approved the 2026 budget, projecting it at $315,783,344, claiming a 16% increase over previous estimates. At first glance, the increase may appear reassuring—a sign of growth and stability. But a closer look reveals a disturbing reality. The 2025 budget was $466,840,762. This means the actual budget has shrunk by 32.4%, not grown.

Such a discrepancy raises serious questions. Where did the “increase” come from? How can the government claim growth when the numbers show a dramatic decline? The public deserves answers, but instead, they are being fed carefully curated narratives designed to obscure the truth. Many media outlets highlighted this troubling discrepancy, noting that the government has offered no explanation for the sudden drop in budgeted revenues.

Instead of transparency, what we see is deception. The government does not tell its citizens why the budget has declined. Was it due to project completions that generated one-time revenue? Were some expected projects delayed or canceled? Did domestic revenue streams fall unexpectedly? These are all legitimate questions, yet the authorities remain silent. In Puntland, as elsewhere, the government’s role is to guide, inform, and protect its people. When it fails to do so—or worse, when it deliberately misleads its citizens—it erodes the trust that is essential for governance.

The problem is not simply a technical one of accounting or forecasting. It is a symptom of a broader political culture in which misinformation and manipulation are routine. Politicians routinely present inflated or distorted figures to the public, creating a false impression of progress and growth. This is not a minor issue; it is a serious threat to public accountability and democratic governance. When the people cannot trust the numbers, they cannot make informed decisions, plan for the future, or hold leaders accountable.

Equally troubling is the government’s apparent disregard for the real needs of the people. Inflated revenue projections may make budgets look impressive on paper, but they have no impact on communities struggling with poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient services. When projections fail to materialize, essential programs are underfunded or abandoned. Yet the narrative presented to the public remains positive, giving citizens the illusion of stability while their daily realities worsen.

In Puntland, these failures are especially stark. Successive administrations have neglected critical sectors such as hospitals, public schools, and universities—institutions that form the backbone of any functioning society. Instead of prioritizing service delivery and long-term development, many leaders have treated the regional presidency as a launching pad for national political ambitions. The result is a government more focused on posturing for high office in Mogadishu than on addressing Puntland’s own pressing challenges. This pattern of political self-interest has left communities without the healthcare, education, and public infrastructure they desperately need.

It is worth asking why this situation persists. One reason is simple: the government does not see the people as its primary responsibility. Officials may view citizens as passive observers, as numbers on a page, or as a means to achieve political ends. If this sounds cynical, it is because it is a reality many Puntland residents experience daily. When leaders fail to plan responsibly or communicate honestly, it is ordinary citizens who pay the price. The current state of Puntland’s budget is a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and accountability. In any responsible system of governance, citizens cannot — and should not — accept surface-level explanations or figures crafted to create political comfort. Transparency is not a favor extended by leaders; it is an obligation owed to the public. When budget claims fail to correspond with the economic conditions ordinary people experience, the public has every right to demand clarity and insist on answers grounded in reality rather than rhetoric.

A proclaimed 16% increase within an overall contracting budget is not an achievement — it is a distortion. Such numerical acrobatics do not reflect growth; they reflect an effort to manage public perception rather than confront fiscal truth. And when a government chooses to misrepresent its financial posture, it inevitably casts a shadow of doubt over its credibility in other, even more consequential, areas of governance.

For Puntland, a region whose legitimacy rests on its reputation for accountability and principled leadership, this type of budget manipulation is not merely a technical discrepancy. It undermines confidence, erodes trust, and risks weakening the very institutions the public relies upon.

What can be done? First, the public must recognize the power of information. Awareness is the first step toward accountability. Citizens must follow budget announcements, compare them with actual revenues and expenditures, and demand explanations for discrepancies. Second, media outlets have a critical role to play. Investigative reporting, fact-checking, and independent analysis can expose mismanagement and prevent it from becoming normalized. Third, political leaders must be held responsible for their actions. Governments are not above scrutiny, and their decisions—especially those affecting public funds must be transparent and justifiable.

Finally, this situation is a reminder of the importance of civic engagement. A healthy democracy is built not on blind trust but on informed participation. Citizens must be willing to question, challenge, and hold their leaders accountable. Only through collective vigilance can Puntland ensure that budgets serve the people, not political expediency.

In conclusion, the recent approval of the 2026 budget highlights more than just a technical miscalculation—it exposes a pattern of deception and mismanagement that undermines governance and public trust. Puntland’s citizens deserve honesty, clarity, and responsible fiscal management. Inflated projections and misleading narratives may temporarily create the illusion of growth, but they cannot substitute for real accountability.

It is time for Puntland’s people to demand the truth. It is time to reject manipulation and insist on transparency. It is time to hold leaders accountable, not just for the numbers they present, but for the impact of their decisions on real lives. Awareness is not enough—it must be matched by action. Only then can Puntland’s government serve its people as it should: not as subjects of statistics, but as citizens with rights, needs, and voices that matter.

Dayib Sh. Ahmed
Email: Dayib0658@gmail.com
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Dayib is a writer, political analyst and WardheerNews contributor .