The chief representative for JICA in South Sudan on Saturday stated that Freedom Bridge will cost about 90 million US Dollars for the project to finish this year.
Speaking during the Media seminar, Chief Representative for JICA Sagara Fuyuki explains that some project like water supply across Juba will cost about 45 million while Freedom Bridge will cost 97 million US dollars
“For water supply will cost 45 million and something and regarding the Freedom Bridge it’s almost 97 million US Dollars and for other project we cannot specify or indentify the budget because this is in kind support.”
Sagara says JICA cannot give the total amount of the whole project which they are running across Juba at the moment because it is in kind support.
He adds that sustainability is one of the most challenges facing some projects when they hand over to the government, citing that the government should have a budget to maintain the bridge well.
“As I said earlier that sustainability is always the challenge for every project, once we extend the granted and the Bridges constructed is complete after that they need to maintain and for it to be maintain they need to allocate some staff and budget to that work because the running cost for the sustainability is always a challenge to the people of South Sudan.”
2013 and 2016 conflict is the major challenge which has delayed the project of Freedom Bridge and water supply “Sagara narrates”
“Basically security of 2013 conflict and 2016 conflict is the major reason and also in addition to those issues COVID-19 has somehow affected to case the delay has you all know that if there is conflict Japans government order all the Japans staff or the engineers to evacuate outside this Country and before they are allow to come back it takes months or years to evaluate the improvement on security condition in the Country.”
JICA South Sudan has been running very many projects in Juba and they are hoping to expand the projects to the States across the Country.
The chief made this remarks on Saturday during JICA media seminar at Palm Africa Hotel in Juba