The national Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Awow Daniel Chuong, and his team from the Central Equatoria state government, Juba City Council were seen in the Market today to inspect the market prices.
This follows the recent reduction of the exchange rate of the United States dollar against South Sudanese Pound.
Several traders have been accused of not decreasing the prices including fuel stations in the country after SSP gained strength against the dollar last week.
Minister Awow Daniel Chuang toured the market with the Bank Governor of South Sudan, the national minister of trade and industry, and Central Equatoria State Deputy Governor Sarah Nene Redento.
Hon. Daniel Chuang said, they visited the market and urged the traders to reduce commodity prices.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. William Anyuon Kuol echoed the same statement calling on the traders to have uniform prices of food items, and directing business owners to sell goods in South Sudanese Pounds, not in hard currency (USD).
The Governor of the Bank of South Sudan Hon. Dr. James Alic Garang, encouraged traders to open bank accounts from various commercial banks operating in the country to save their money instead of keeping it at home.
“We need to embrace and support an advanced electronic payment system”, Alic stressed.
The Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State Hon. Sarah Nene Rendento, also advised the business community in the country to use the E-tax government system for banking and transfer of cash.
The current exchange rate keeps fluctuating as 100 USD is sold at 180, a thousand Pounds in the black market while it costs 153,000 if bought at the bank rate.