South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) on Wednesday handed over the Mining Act, 2012 (amendment) bill 2023 to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Gichira Kibara, Chairperson for the NCAC said the bill will reduce widespread smuggling of minerals in the country.
“We know for instances there is quite several gold being mined but the state and people of the Republic of South Sudan are not benefiting mostly because of smuggling,” Kibara told journalists during a presentation of the bill in Juba.
He described the Mining Act as one of the most important laws that will regulate the exploration of minerals.
“The only way to deal with that is to have a proper legal framework which ensures that mining is done officially and done properly and the government gets the revenue,” said Kibara.
For his part, Gabriel Isaac Awow the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs said the Mining Act has been redundant since there was not much potential for minerals exploration.
“For sure all of us are aware that this act was acted in 2012 and all these periods in our opinion are very redundant there is no operationalization of this act because, at that time when it was acted, there was not much potential for exploration of minerals or mining in South Sudan,” said Awow.
“There is a need for this Act to be amended so that we can be in a position to meet all challenges facing the sector and also it can support the economics of the country,” he added.
The NCAC is the body mandated by the revitalized peace agreement to review the country’s fundamental laws for amendment to ensure reforms.
