October 1st 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s government announced on Thursday that it will pay the East African Community $15 millions for its membership after almost three years of membership without payment.
South Sudan’s new trade minister Paul Mayom Akech who was appointed last Monday as the new minister of trade and industry said Thursday the government will ensure that it pays the regional body its fiancial obligation.
“I will engage the relevant institutions to ensure payment or part of our obligations to this East Africa Institution,” Akech told reporters on Thursday adding that “I would want to ensure that all the legal frameworks that govern internal institutions of this ministry from investment to industry and to East Africa Community, Bureau of Standard all have to conform to the peace agreement and to our East African Community Laws.”
For his part, the undersecretary in charge of East Africa Community in the ministry Mou Mou Athian urged the new minister to pay EAC dues.
“The contribution is 8.5 million US dollars every year per member state, the only thing we did was the payment of 900, 000 US dollars, apart from that, we never paid, this is weakening our position in the East Africa Community,” he said.
He said this is because the South Sudan government never pay for its membership since it joined the regional body.
“One of the obligations that you will have to take as of now is that we have had 3 years as members of Eathe st Africa Community and we have paid nothing,” he said.
According to the East Africa Community’s rules, each of member state is required to contribute $8,378,108 before 31st December of every year.
South Sudan, the world and Africa’s yopungest nation joined the East African Community in 2015 following several failed attempts but have not paid any financial commitments to the regional body due to the ongoing economic shortcomings imposed by the ongoing civil war.
