Garowe markets bustle with activity as locals prepare for Eid celebrations”

Garowe-(Puntland Mirror) Garowe’s marketplaces are bustling with business activities as hundreds of people go there to buy new clothes, sweets, and other necessities in preparation for Eid al-Fitr, which is expected to take place tomorrow, Friday.

This year, the markets in Garowe are experiencing an increase in activity due to the Lasanood conflict. Many people who were forced to flee from Lasanood have relocated to Garowe, while entrepreneurs from Lasanood, where SSC-Khatumo has been in conflict with Somaliland since February, have also moved to Garowe after their business relations with Somaliland’s administrative towns were disrupted, according to the entrepreneurs.

The price of goods has not increased significantly this year compared to previous years, due in part to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global business.

Following the demise of the Somali shilling in Puntland at the start of 2021, e-money became the only payment method available. The disappearance of the Somali shilling has had an extensive influence on various communities, such as people with low incomes and those residing in remote rural areas with limited telecommunications access.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This year, Ramadan is expected to end on the evening of the 29th day, which falls on a Thursday. If the crescent moon of the following month, Shawwal, is sighted on Thursday evening, it is anticipated that Eid, the celebration marking the end of Ramadan, will be observed in Islamic countries on the following day.