President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni today met a delegation of senior South Sudanese government officials led by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Dr Labanya Margaret Mathya, at State House, Entebbe.
The meeting focused on trade between Uganda and South Sudan and the challenges affecting the movement of goods and people between the two countries.
President Museveni said Uganda’s annual exports to South Sudan are estimated to have increased from $500 million to $700 million. He called for the removal of trade barriers and improvements in infrastructure and security along the trade route.
The President identified three areas for joint action: the Juba-Nimule road, electricity connectivity and security along the border.
“We should work on three areas: working with the African Development Bank on constructing the Juba-Nimule road for business between the two countries, building the power line, and then also our two armies cooperating on securing the borders,” President Museveni said.
He also proposed establishing a one-stop border centre to reduce delays and ease the movement of goods and people between Uganda and South Sudan.
Hon. Labanya said the delegation was in Uganda for a business forum to discuss challenges affecting cross-border trade and find ways of addressing them.
“Uganda is one of the biggest exporters to South Sudan. We really appreciate and are extremely glad for that trade in our country. It meets very few hurdles like non-tariff barriers between Nimule and Juba. We came to see better ways to make trade more seamless, acceptable and tasteful to both countries,” she said.
She said cooperation between the two countries should go beyond the exchange of goods to include peace, healthcare and knowledge.
“Trade is everything. We trade in peace, health and in our own intellectual ideas between the two countries and ensuring that the exchange of trade continues,” she said.
On security, Hon. Labanya acknowledged concerns from traders over roadblocks and other challenges along the Nimule-Juba route. She said most of the reported roadblocks had recently been removed and work was continuing to address the remaining concerns.
“Security of the population, mainly the traders, is key. Some of them were subjected to roadblocks. Most of them were removed recently,” she said.
Uganda’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Sanjay Tanna, said traders continue to face non-tariff barriers, delays in clearing goods, insecurity and high financial service costs.
He said Ugandan traders had also raised concerns about outstanding compensation claims in South Sudan.
“The issues on our side are more or less the same. Administration that keeps changing, when a new person comes they keep coming. Some include non-tariff barriers, delays in clearance, insecurity was high, which are resolved when they are raised. Security of our people, the element of high costs of financial institutions doing business. The Ugandan community of traders that has visited me raised the issue of compensation. Their side is slow, our side is quick, however they have committed to improve,” Hon. Tanna said.
He called for closer coordination between the two governments to address the concerns raised by traders and improve conditions for cross-border business.
The meeting was also attended by Dr Sam Mayanja, the Attorney General; Hon. Amos Lugoloobi, the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development; and H.E. Paul Malong Akaro, the South Sudanese Ambassador to Uganda.
