By Adia Jildo
The government of South Sudan has launched an e-service system to ease the accusation of investment certificates in the country.
Speaking at the launch, Vice President for Economic Cluster Dr. James Wani Igga said lack of digitalization of work has affected the coming of investors into the country.
He said through the digitalized assistance, the process of obtaining logistics license is made faster and convenient.
Dr. Igga called on stakeholders to adopt the system and comply with the e-system to acquire the system to ease work.
He said the new system will also reduce corruption while awarding investment certificates.
“Corruption and insecurity that is a cost of doing business because the cost becomes higher than you expected. This is due to the fact that foreign investors take today extra cost in the form of bribes in order to get license or government payment which drives them away.
He added that the judiciary system is weak and compromised and a major threat to the country’s ability to attract investors.
He called on the government to state clear investment policy to ease the work of the minister of investment.
“The government will be expected to formulate policies to review the system of our work which will guide the country’s issue of investment,” he said.
He said land property data base showing comprehensive land use and required to draft its own land policy.
He said he wrote to the government institutions to adapt to the new e-system in country.
“Government must prepare showing land use and the locations of various land use. There is also a means for the government to set aside land for industrial use,” he said.
The Minister of Investment Dr. Dhieu Mathok Diing said the e-service will ease the work in acquisition of license for its efficiency compared to the previous policy.
He said the e-service will minimize the malpractices and suspicions of corruption will be banned.
Dr. Dhieu said the investors will have to be served as soon as possible and within 24 hours in order to get their license to operate.
“You can ask an investor to come to South Sudan and stay in hotel where he will be paying 300 dollars and then stay for three months”.
He called on investors and government officials to adapt to the new e-system which eases work.
“We are seeing resistance which these are not complying with these acts which is alarming. Institutions are not intervening into the e-system,” he said.
He said services should be made available than delaying their services.