Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-The Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, opened the Social Protection System of the Unified Social Register on Sunday, aiming to alleviate poverty and food insecurity while enhancing resilience to disasters like droughts, floods, and locusts.

The Prime Minister stated that the system is a central element in the federal government’s policy, focusing on inclusive development to strengthen security, promote economic growth, and foster cooperation within Somali society.

“The ministry has completed work on this system, both financially and technically. From now on, we want it to be used effectively whenever the government is providing assistance to consider who receives what and where it is allocated. So, I hope we all abide by this and use the system,” said Prime Hamza Abdi Barre.

He urged all ministries and government agencies to utilize the Government’s Unified Social Register (USR) and integrate their systems to enhance efficiency and eliminate gaps in service delivery.

“We also anticipate the integration of the USR systems at different government ministries and organizations, acknowledging that most of them have separate data systems,” he added.

Dr. Mohamed Elmi Ibrahim, Somalia’s Minister of Labour and Social Services, underscored the USR system’s importance for government operations, especially during disasters.

“This USR system will store the data of all the needy people, particularly those affected by shocks like floods, winds, and locusts, aiding the government in responding promptly with ready data,” said Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Elmi.

He added, “We are hopeful that this system will serve the Somali people effectively and efficiently, aiming to register close to 17 to 18 million Somalis. This digital format will reduce duplication, information loss, and file issues.”

The federal government has recently taken measures to digitalize some government services, including launching a national identification and registration process to strengthen digital information in the country.

Somalia has faced security threats from the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab and a civil war that has affected the effectiveness of its institutions. However, with the support of international partners, it has now liberated half of the territories previously controlled by Al-Shabaab.

Despite these challenges, the federal government has redoubled its efforts to combat terrorism and revitalize its institutions, such as the Defense and Security, Immigration and Registrations departments, anti-corruption agencies, and the auditing and financial management systems.