Juba, South Sudan,
June 10, 2021 – There will be no interruption in the flow of goods from Uganda to South Sudan and vice versa despite the recent imposition of another lockdown by President Yoweri Museveni, a senior government official told Nyamilepedia.
Ladu Lukak Lege, the First Deputy Chairperson at the National Chamber of Commerce said the government of South Sudan and its Ugandan counterpart have signed an agreement to allow unhindered cross-border delivery of goods.
“People should not panic; the supply of goods will remain steady. We have reached an agreement with the government of Uganda to allow truck drivers to operate and I believe this is an agreement that will hold,” Lukak said.
Speaking in Arabic from Juba Thursday, the First Deputy Chairperson assured the citizens that the lockdown in Uganda will not have dire consequences on business operations in South Sudan if both parties would respect the agreement.
“We hope the two sides [South Sudan and Uganda] will all comply to the agreement we signed and when that happens, I assure you there will be no interruption as far as delivering goods in and outside South Sudan is concerned,” he said.
Uganda went on lockdown earlier this month following an order from Mr. Museveni after a new variant has reportedly emerged in the neighboring country.
The move sent a shockwave across South Sudan, a country with a sizeable number of its population living in Uganda. Many also worried that South Sudan could follow suit in the lockdown tray and close schools and other places of public gathering.
While normal movement faces restriction, it is against this backdrop that Mr. Lukak allayed fear within the business fraternity. He however pleaded with security organs from the two countries to guarantee safety to truck drivers.
According to the agreement, Lukak said, at least two drivers would be allowed to travel simultaneously.
COVID-19 lockdown has had a huge impact on business since its onset in April 2020.
According to the Bank of Uganda, the country’s exports with regional market dropped and South Sudan is among the regional States where Uganda’s export earnings slumped the most, Daily Monitor reported.
