By Bida Elly David
The Vice President for Economic Cluster, Dr. James Wani Igga has testified that corruption; discrimination and bribery within ministries are factors that have contributed to the current economic recession across the Country noting that with this, South Sudan has been rated the first corrupt Country globally.
Speaking during an Economic forum in Juba yesterday, Dr. Igga said that the only solution to abolish corruption is by imposing serious punishment against greedy officials or else put sword on their necks through replacement.
“We really need honesty by punishing people then others will become honest. If you are the undersecretary within a ministry and your directors happen to make mistake and you fail to punish them, both of you are corrupt and you are promoting corruption,” Dr. Igga said.
He added that most local companies have gone into recess due to contract awarding malpractices happening within ministries and other sectors.
Dr. Igga further added that some States across the Country have the will to supply local markets with produces but the brutal conflict and poor infrastructure blocked internal commercialization.
“There are agriculturalists in Renk with enough supply to the market. Renk could supply the whole South Sudan but because of our violence and conflicts, the food does not reach us instead those in Khartoum have taken opportunity of it,” he said.
Dr. Igga also criticized citizens and local traders against laziness and high dependency on the government urging them to subordinate the authority to restore the recessed economy.
He slammed entrepreneurs against using the mistakes of leaders as cover pages of their errors rather increase supply into the local markets.
Dr. Igga said that most local productive companies have been cheated by ministries through contraction of foreign companies who are believed to have full competency of service delivery forgetting the center of business monopoly.
“Corruption and discrimination are what have been happening in the ministries. They normally say, pay us 5% or 10% from the awarded contracts. We have become number one most corrupt Country in the world because of the practice. Imagine you are told to pay something little such that you are paid your own money,” he cited.
Igga however advised business entities to introduce E-Commerce digitalization as a way to eliminate commercial trends and ease business.
“Through E-Commerce digitalization, some of the reasons that make you fail after two years will be eliminated and it will become difficult for a monopolist to cheat you since what will be done in one week will be done in 30 minutes,” he added.
He said that digitalization is the only way to determine success but only few South Sudanese have joined commercialization through the E-commerce devise.
Moreover, Igga underscored that South Sudan export is still at lower level due to lack of business will and knowledge to promote domestic industries.
He also condemned discrimination of female against businesses noting that they have got right to be rendered capital for enterprises and contracts in a bid to deliver.
“For South Sudan businesses to supply international market, they must begin to supply the local markets until you grow then after growth you expand your business. For you to be able to export or supply to the local and global markets, you should focus on the quality then quantity follows,” he noted.
Dr. Igga pointed out that the hard currency has taken lead of the money market because much focus on promoting local production through agriculture has been neglected.
“It is true that the dollar has spoiled the market but number one factor that is spoiling our market is the little supply to the market domestically,” he said.
VP Igga emphasized that if traders supply the local market with large quantity of goods, consumers will afford and the economy will stabilize.