Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — The transfer of the Somalia domain name .so was supposed to boost the effectiveness of the IT industry in Somalia, but it has turned out to be a cash cow for the Mogadishu-based management of the Somali Network Information Centre (SONIC).
SONIC received a grant from a major multilateral organisation which allocated funds for increasing connectivity at campuses in “southern Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland.”
Lack of transparency about how SONIC spends its budget, most of which is sourced from multilateral organisations and donor countries, plagues the organisation whose mandate is to sell domain names to companies but allow federal members states to run their sub domains under the national so.
Puntland State of Somalia has been granted the privilege to run its domains for Ministries but to outsource the management of commercial domains to local companies.
Puntland Post has learned that SONIC had persuaded Puntland Ministries to have their websites hosted for free, a decision that can save each organisation roughly 300 dollars in hosting expenses.
SONIC contracted hosting companies in Mogadishu allegedly owned by senior SONIC officials to host websites of federal member states. SONIC has awarded contracts to host websites without competition. Website hosting or awarding website hosting contracts is not one of SONIC’s mandates.
Puntland State government website contracted local website hosting before SONIC had lured them in a questionable website hosting business relationship, said an official of Puntland Information and Telecommunications Ministry who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“At the Somali Network Information Centre (SONIC), we are helping the development of the local content and raising awareness and promoting the local dimensions of internet governance related issues in the country” Mustafa Sheik, the Executive Director of Somali Network Information Centre recently wrote in the Daily Nation.
This sentiment runs counter to the SONIC policy to keep stakeholders in the dark about the management of a public organisation whose leadership and staff stand accused of exploiting the gullibility of partners at the Federal Member States.
© Puntland Post, 2022
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