According to bank documents, the project objective is to support progress toward increased access to basic digital financial and government services targeting entrepreneurship and employment, particularly for women.

The project has 3 components:

1. Strengthening Institutions (US$7 million equivalent). Activities to be financed will include provision of goods, consultancy services, capacity building, training, and
   workshops for carrying out implementation activities supporting policy makers, regulators, and supervisors, and other beneficiaries and stakeholders to (a) develop and implement effective sector policies and strategies and legal and regulatory frameworks; (b) strengthen regulatory reporting, compliance, and transaction monitoring; (c) implement shared IT systems and related utility services for identification verification as well as fraud detection and control; and (d) improve business processes and streamline workflows.

2. Enabling Financial and Digital Services (US$20 million equivalent). This component focuses on increasing individuals’ and businesses’ access to services that expand economic opportunities and help restore resilience in a gender-sensitive manner. Under this component, the project will support sustainable mechanisms for service delivery. The project will encourage a gender-sensitive approach to the delivery of targeted services and promote the development of gender-sensitive sector policies and strategies to help address the gender gaps identified. Areas covered by the component are as follows: (a) setting up a dedicated entity to manage and operate a financial intermediary MSME Financing Facility; (b) digital ID enrollment for at least the first 1 million registrants; (c) Government digital payments and construction of interoperable retail payments services, and; (d) e-business registration services for SMEs through operationalization of one-stop-shop (OSS) Activities to be financed will include provision of goods, capacity building, training, workshops, and consultancy services to support stocktaking exercises, implementation of interoperability measures including data exchange protocols, scheme regulations and rules; procedural reforms, process reengineering, simplified forms and documentation, digital ID enrollment services; and citizen engagement, consultation, and communication campaigns on delivery of robust and sustainable financial and digital services.

3. Project Management and Coordination (US$4 million equivalent). The component will fund project management and coordination activities. The project will be
   implemented by FGS using a single Project Implementation Unit (PIU) anchored in the Ministry of Finance in Mogadishu, with a multilayer implementation structure. The PIU will be responsible for day-to-day project management and will coordinate closely with MDAs covering the project target areas. The PIU will also
   coordinate activities across FGS including Federal Member States (FMS). Project focal persons will be appointed and embedded within MDAs covering project target areas (Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Technology; Ministry of Interior; Central Bank of Somalia, Financial Reporting Center; and National Communications Authority). The project will set up a single Project Steering Committee (PSC) comprising the key MDAs to coordinate and oversee the implementation of activities, with attention to sequencing and timing issues, as well as ensuring effective stakeholder consultations and engagements. The project will also fund an independent monitoring agent (MA) to provide an added layer of physically monitoring the flow and use of project funds, including the MSME Financing Facility. In addition, funding will be allocated to establish a project-level grievance redress mechanism (GRM). Activities to be financed by this component will include provision of goods, consulting services, training, and operating costs of the PIU to support project coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and management.

World Bank:
Thilasoni Benjamin Musuku
Senior Financial Sector Specialist

Axel Rifon Perez
Young Professional

Borrower:
Ministry of Finance, Federal Republic of Somalia

Implementing Agency:
Ministry of Finance, Federal Republic of Somalia
Abdirahman Duale Beileh
Minister of Finance
abdirahmanbeileh010114@gmail.com 

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. You can learn more about the Inspection Panel and how to file a complaint at: http://ewebapps.worldbank.org/apps/ip/Pages/Home.aspx.