Government challenged to appoint commercial diplomat

The Director of External Trade at the Ministry of Trade and Industry has urged the government to appoint a commercial representative to represent the country in foreign countries to boost export and import.   

Speaking to The City Review in an exclusive interview yesterday, Director General of External Trade, Stephen M.G Jorbek said the commercial representative will do the best thing possible to improve the country’s net export earnings in what he termed as the “broadest meaning of that particular country so that the economy improved’’.

He said since South Sudan is a sovereign country, this is the right time for the government to substantially recognize commercial representation.

“The trade representative can at time be called upon to encourage foreign investors and to stimulate tourism interest in his country,” he said.

“The commercial representative can at times be involved in the international tendering in connection with his country and the imports procurement. This is done with the participation in capital projects in his country,”  he added.

He said the government of South Sudan shared the experience and ideas required which must follow the best practice to cope up with complicated globalization and digitalization amidst the dreadful climate change.

In June 2021, the report indicated that South Sudan’s trade with Uganda dipped in the month of April with the worth of Ugandan exports dropping to US$37.7 million from US$45.7 million in the previous month. This was a 21 percent decrease.

According to the Ugandan Central Bank, the country not only registered a setback in the trade with South Sudan but a similar trend replicated in its trade dealings with Kenya.

Past challenges

Uganda remains the transit hub and point of origin for several if not all goods consumed in South Sudan. However, the transit of goods from Uganda to Juba suffered a blow after unknown gunmen terrorized traders and burnt trucks in separate incidents, killing four Ugandan drivers.

Truck drivers declined to drive to the South Sudanese capital, Juba, as they called on the South Sudanese government to offer protection. In a matter of days, the truckers were back on the road but the prices of commodities created by the resultant shortage still remained high.