Uganda, South Sudan organize first ever business forum to help ease trade

The first Uganda, South Sudan business forum is set to be opened today in Juba as one of the ways to help ease trade between the two countries.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Uganda’s Ambassador to South Sudan  Brig  Ronnie Balya said the forum will help further improve trade ties between the two countries.

“After the war, the South Sudan government is doing its best to restore systems following a total breakdown,”Balya said.

He noted that  the business forum is aimed at creating  an enabling platform that allows the Uganda and South Sudan public and private sectors to discuss business challenges, identify opportunities, share experiences and create business to business networks for the benefit of both countries’ citizens.

Joint Permanent Commission

He said that as part of the Uganda-South Sudan business forum, both countries will reopen the Joint Permanent Commission as a government to government forum to discuss issues that will help in stimulating and easing trade .

“The ministries, departments and agencies from both countries will use the Joint Permanent Commission to  discuss issues of bilateral interest, threats, challenges, opportunities  in the area of trade ,security and immigration among others,” the head of Uganda’s mission to Juba said.

“We shall use the Joint Permanent Commmission forum to discuss the various policies and strategies in the two countries to help in facilitating trade. We discuss inter connectivity projects like roads to promote movement of goods and services plus people.”

He mentioned the construction of the Gulu-Juba railway line to ease pressure on the Gulu-Juba-Nimule road as well as the Karuma-Juba electricity line .

“South Sudan has a big problem of electricity and this line will help in dealing with this.”

He said the Joint Permanent Commission was last held 10 years ago in 2012 in Kampala before the war broke out a year later in 2013.

Compensation of Ugandan traders

Brig Balya also mentioned the issue of compensation to Ugandan traders who had supplied goods, noting that the Juba establishment is currently verifying  beneficiaries before compensation begins.

“Many traders have not been paid but both countries are discussing the matter. On its part South Sudan is conducting a verification exercise to determine the genuine claimants from the fake ones because some Ugandans working with some Sudanese elements sat and manufactured papers for compensation.”

He noted that South Sudan imports goods including cereals, sugar, beverages, vegetable oil, building materials from Uganda whereas Uganda imports mainly  scrap iron and timber from South Sudan.

“The business forum is aimed at improving this. We want to ensure favourable trade between the two countries .”