Government Calls for Construction of Permanent Shops After Customs Market Fire

By Awan Achiek              

The Minister of Trade and Industry Atong Kuol Manyang on Tuesday inspected the aftermath of the devastating fire that swept through Customs Market and urged traders to abandon temporary structures in favor of permanent, fire-resistant buildings.

Her visit aimed to express condolences to those affected and assess the extent of the damage.

Accompanying her were Emmanuel Adil Anthony, the Governor of Central Equatoria State, and Christopher Sarafino Wani, Mayor of Juba City Council.

Speaking to the media at Customs Market, she encouraged shop owners to cease erecting temporary structures and to invest in permanent shops to mitigate losses from future fire outbreaks.

“The government can attract other investors who will be willing to construct such buildings and potentially be compensated later. So, if there are investors out there, I believe this presents an opportunity for them,” Minister Kuol stated.

She expressed deep concern over the significant losses incurred due to the blaze.

“What we have seen is unfortunate because, as we sit here and look behind us, we find that many people have been affected,” Kuol remarked.

The Minister noted that the traders who lost their livelihoods are now struggling to support their families amid a worsening economic situation.

“Among them are foreigners and South Sudanese, including vulnerable women. Most of these individuals are striving to put food on their tables,” she explained.

Kuol affirmed their commitment to support traders who have lost their sources of income.

“They are trying to support their families, and given our challenging economic circumstances, recovering from these losses will be difficult,” she added.

She pledged to support the private sector to bolster the economy.

“It is through them that local jobs can be created, as well as the taxes and revenues they contribute to our economy. We recognise that this is a vital sector, and the government will ensure its support,” she said.

Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony urged calm among traders affected by the fire that destroyed a section of the Customs Market.

“We call for calm among all, not only the traders but also the community who sympathise with us over the losses incurred. We, as a people, will undoubtedly be resilient,” Anthony stated.

He announced that the government plans to reorganise the market by establishing permanent structures.

“We are going to implement a robust plan to improve all our markets, not just Customs, but the rest of our markets in Juba, to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” he said.

Anthony directed the leadership of Juba City Council to form a committee comprising various stakeholders to evaluate the damage and investigate the potential causes of the fire at Customs Market.

Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani stated they will organise the market to enhance responses to fire outbreaks effectively.

“We will also assess the capacity of the City Council to ensure we can respond appropriately should a similar situation arise,” Wani said.

He reported that the incident resulted in property losses amounting to millions of South Sudanese Pounds, although fortunately, no lives were lost.

“I understand that the traders who have suffered losses are understandably agitated. They are not happy because losing property and the substantial amounts of money involved is immense. However, I ask for your patience,” Wani concluded.