By Gladys Fred Kole
Technical advisor to Ministry of Trade and Industry, Simon Nyang Anei has revealed plans to revive the manufacturing industry.
The advisor was speaking at a workshop on trade and private-sector competitiveness, organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Mr. Nyang, who represented the trade minister, said that the ministry is working on the industrial sector on the basis of trade and investment.
“Soon, if all goes well, our youth will get employed,” Nyang said.
Chairperson of the Manufacturers Association in South Sudan, Mr. Adam Kubanga, however, said that industrialization sector will never thrive without energy.
“Let us look at our neighboring regional countries. They have a sustainable power supply, and that is why their industries and economies are thriving,” he stressed.
He noted that South Sudan should first establish sustainable, affordable power for survival of the industrial sector.
Kubanga noted that 45% of manufacturers have decreased in the past 8 years, which he blamed on lack of reliable electricity.
“We appeal to the government to put focus and emphasis on coming up with a solution to solve power issue because even JEDCO itself is not sustainable and affordable to industries,” Kubanga urged.
Kubanga echoed that, currently, the industries are only rallying around burning generators to have power in place since there is no hydroelectric power plant in the country.
Meanwhile, the UNDP deputy country resident representative, Titus Osunadina, pointed out that the major issue of power exists.
But he said the government will be able to provide support, and UNDP is supporting the government in the provision of that power and other development agencies.
“The power is not only limited to hydropower; we also have solar power and wind power that can be used to facilitate the sufficiency of power in the country. Titus noted.
However, undersecretary in the Ministry of Mining, Dr. Cosmas Pitia Kujjo said that power is needed in order for the country to flourish and for infrastructure development.
According to Kujjo, the country can’t flourish in industrial development without power and energy.
Kujjo stated that South Sudan has a lot of minerals but cannot explore due to lack of power and source of energy.
“The most important things that we need in terms of industries are cement, and for us, we need cement. We have raw materials of cement brought from Kapoeta, Kajo-Keji, Mangaten, and others, but we cannot get that without the power and energy that we are talking about,” Kujjo underscored.
He said a lot of people have come to conduct feasibility studies in potential industrial areas, but since there’s no power in the country, they just quit.
Kujjo emphasized that cement and other minerals all needed power in order for their processing to be executed.
Meanwhile, in March 2022, the Vice President for the Economic Cluster, Dr. James Wani Igga, said industrialization remains a dream in South Sudan without hydropower.
There are few factories built in the country because there is no reliable, strong hydroelectric power plant that can supply them with electricity.
“Without reliable hydropower electricity supply, industrialization will remain a dream in South Sudan unless the country makes concerted efforts in developing its vast hydropower potential resources. Only then will the dream become a reality,” Igga said.
The VP for the economic cluster noted that the country dearly needed a hydroelectric power station built to produce strong electricity that could attract investors to establish factories in the country.