South Sudan is likely to face a number of challenges after it becomes a member of the East African region.
Presidential advisor on Economic Affairs, Aggrey Tisa Sabuni, said the challenges include infrastructure, human capital and other issues.Mr Sabuni was presenting a paper on the economic costs and benefits of East African Community (EAC) membership, during a development policy forum in Juba on Saturday.
He said South Sudan might find itself pushed to a situation of specializing on the production of raw materials and not manufacturing.
Mr Sabuni said the country will face problems to transfer resources to other EAC member economies.
He said South Sudanese manufacturers will have to compete with regional companies that have more developed and cheaper supply lines.
The presidential advisor added that the country could be dependent on other EAC economies.
Mr Sabuni said South Sudan would benefit from the common integrated huge EAC market.
He said easy access to the EAC market could increase domestic production.
Mr Sabuni added that South Sudan would gain from investments in new technologies and potential specialization.
The forum was organized by the Ebony Centre for Strategic Studies with the support from development partners.
The EAC is the regional intergovernmental organisation of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
South Sudan applied to join the EAC last November and its status will be discussed in two months.