MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Saturday approved a bill establishing a national payment system aimed at modernising financial transactions in the Horn of Africa nation, while also holding the first reading of a new draft law on sexual offences.
The session, chaired by Speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur (Madobe), marked the 12th sitting of the legislature’s seventh session and was attended by 156 members of parliament, according to an official statement.
Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to pass the National Payment System Bill, drafted by the Ministry of Finance, with 154 votes in favour and two against. The bill seeks to regulate and secure electronic payments across the country as part of broader financial sector reforms.
During the same sitting, MPs conducted the first reading of the Sexual Offences and Other Acts of Indecency Bill, introduced by the Ministry of Family and Human Rights. The State Minister, Mohamed Osman Nasto, presented the bill, which aims to strengthen legal protections against sexual violence and uphold the dignity of Somali citizens.
Several lawmakers raised questions regarding the draft’s consistency with Islamic law, its compatibility with the national constitution, and its broader implications for social and economic policy.
Parliament also received the third reading report on proposed amendments to the Anti-Piracy and Anti-Kidnapping Law No. 36 of 1975, part of ongoing efforts to strengthen maritime security and combat organised crime.
In his closing remarks, Speaker Sheikh Adan Madobe described the sexual offences bill as “a crucial legal framework for protecting the rights and honour of the Somali people,” and referred it to the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Women and Humanitarian Affairs for further review and debate.
Madobe said the 11th Parliament, in cooperation with Somali religious scholars, remained committed to enacting laws that prevent crimes and abuses against women and vulnerable groups.
The passage of the payment system bill represents another step in Somalia’s bid to stabilise and modernise its financial institutions amid continuing political and economic reform efforts.
