South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny
The Ministry of Finance and Planning has been asked by the South Sudan National Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (SSNCCIA) to release the outstanding dues owed to traders who supplied goods to the government.
Lado Lukak Legge, the Chairperson of the South Sudan National Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, said that some traders who supplied goods to the government are yet to be paid which is curtailing them from importing vital goods and commodities in the country.
“The Chamber of Commerce is requesting the ministry of finance to pay the dues of the traders, the government has not paid business people which is preventing them from supplying goods to the market,” Lukak said on Wednesday in Juba.
He said these remarks during the meeting with the Minister of Trade and Industry, William Anyuon Kuol to discuss and find solutions to traders affected by the devaluation of the South Sudan Pound against the U.S dollar.
The meeting was also attended by members of SSNCCIA, officials from the Department of Domestic Trade, Price unit of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Lukak raised concerns about the import business being dominated by foreign nationals at the expense of local business people, which he said was hurting the economy.
He called on the government to provide financial support to empower local import business owners to compete with their foreign counterparts.
“We want the government to pay South Sudanese traders so that the national business people compete in the market, if the government gives money to 10 traders to bring commodities, they will compete,” Lukak said.
He said that many South Sudanese traders are unable to order for two to three trucks of goods outside the country due to limited capital.
Lukak said that if South Sudanese traders acquire enough capital to compete with their foreign peers, they could be in a position to import more goods which in turn would cause reduction in prices of goods.
