Bosaaso_ 06_June_2015- Imagine if Somalia a place where World regard as botched state has the most modern telecommunication sector in East Africa. Intense conflicts and a long- civil war have offended Somalia’s solidity when former government was swept out from power in 1991.
Civil war has left vast cataclysm in life also created new prospects for many merchants who remained inside their country and with no doubt Somalia is on the right path forward to recoup its position globally again. Literally Telecommunication is a way of life in Somalia and across world.
GOLIS which is a local telecommunication firm based in Somalia’s north-eastern regional state of Puntland has been the only company operating in the region for so many years and hitherto has bridged unfilled telecommunication gap existing in the region.
The telecom firm has roughly 15 years of handy experience in market, which was making progress in the face of civil strife and conflicts in the region and recently stretched its service beyond Puntland. Over 1 million and half people use Golis mobile on daily basis.
Despite improving security in Somalia, the company has put a corner stone for the first mobile services in Puntland in early 2000, which helped many Somalis to reunite with their families after bloodshed civil war hit in the long troubled horn of African country.
GOLIS operates in whole the region including borders along Ethiopia and Kenya through roaming system in collaboration with other Somali telecom firms and has been providing service to people living in remote and rural areas in Somalia.
The company’s marketing Head Abdurrahman Abdullah Jama (Dayax) has said that GOLIS was founded to carry out most superb telecom services for the people of Puntland and Somalia saying the Golis has offered highest standards of services to date.
“Our operation in Puntland has played a key role in Somalia’s economic performance as we are a leading telecom service provider in the region. “ Dayax said.
Mobile and Banking
For the first time in more than two decades of civil conflicts in the East African nation, Golis has launched two useful mobile banking systems dubbed SAHAL (simple) and TAAJ aimed at delivering basic mobile transactions.
The World Bank’s Global Financial inclusion database (Findex) recently revealed that Somalia was one of the most active mobile money markets: 26/% of the population reported using mobiles to pay bills, which is the highest rate in the world and 32% to send and receive money.
SAHAL service is permitting people to transfer and receive money from your mobile or another, using Golis SIMCARD amid the service becomes the first of its kind brought in the region, in addition the GOLIS has also launched SALAAM BANK ,which is a formal remittance based on Islamic Sharia principles.
“TAAJ is a mobile remittance, which is globally extolled and your family in overseas will enable to send you money in your cell phone and everybody has the way in to practice it using our service “Dayah added.
Just more than a telecom
In the last two months overcrowded boats carrying Somali refugees, who fled from Yemen has been pouring to Puntland’s port town of Bosaaso. GOLIS has spotlighted to help to those in need as a knee- jerk and roughly 500 people including children, women and elderly were repatriated to their homes in southern Somalia.
Likewise the company has offered $80 and one SIMCARD to every person supported during the repatriation process. It’s noteworthy that Golis was the only company to lend a help for the refugees at the beginning.
Securing Market
As part of its progressing success in market GOLIS has been in service for 15 years to interlock its telecom industry across the region. The company’s market was potentially lucrative owing to luck of competitive contender in the region.
For example two out of every three people in Puntland uses Golis SIMCARD and the company’s service were taken by a number of companies including medical companies, educational institutions, national hospitals, organizations, as well as government institutions.
Author: Faysal M. Hassan
He Can be reached at [email protected]
FAALLOOYIN & FALCELIN