Otto Abut
Some business people in South Sudan are appealing to the national government to revise the policies made when joining the East African Community or EAC especially in trading angle.
The traders complained that some east African countries particularly Kenya and Uganda, over tax and delay their consignment to Juba.
The complain came in a meeting with the EAC at South Sudan Chamber of Commerce on how to establish trading relationship for conducive business environment,.
Lodu Lukak Legge, Deputy Chairperson national Chamber of Commerce, says there are high charges on the transit goods especially from Mombasa-Kenya, Malaba and Elegu-Uganda that are impost on to goods coming to South Sudan.
He said “South Sudan joined the East African Community with the aim of free access and movement of goods to each member states but right now it’s the opposite to south Sudanese.”
Lukak claimed that the free visa that was previously lifted is turned to Covid-19 test fee where South Sudanese are asked to pay 50 dollars at the boarder points.
There are delays of container goods coming from Mombasa-Kenya to Juba-South Sudan due to so many clearance agents that take a lot of money from each consignment, said Yowa Soso, Chair of Shippers’ Council in the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce.
“Based on experience, it takes one week for a container to reach Juba from Mombasa port while the low states that ‘goods on transit are not supposed to be stopped ‘according to Container Freight Station rule” he narrated.