By William Madouk
Chairperson of the South Sudan National Bureau of Standard, Dr. Kuorwel Kuai Korwel has warned clearing agencies against issuing fake documents to allow cargo entrances into the country.
He made the remark after meeting members of Clearing Agents in Nimule town to iron out mishaps, understand their challenges, and bridge gaps between the two institutions.
“We concluded that although the clearing agents are a very important part of the private sector and also in facilitating trade in South Sudan, we want them to desist from allowing substandard goods to enter the country,” said Kuorwel.
He alleged that some clearing agents’ fake certificates of conformity (CoC) and stamps on other government institutions to clear cargo at the border.
“By doing that, they should stop, they should inform their members that forging of the Certificate of Conformity or COC is a legal matter and it attracts jail term if we find someone doing that,” he added.
“South Sudan National Bureau of Standards Act 2012 clearly stated if anyone engages in forgery and South Sudan Penal Code 2018 has stated clearly of jail terms,” Kuorwel noted.
To him, any crime of such the culprits will not be only fined by sentence to prison to discourage the act.
“It is for all the South Sudanese that are involved in all the commercial activities, that should we from the SSNBS discover that you are engaging in a legal activity such as selling expired product or service standard product…We will take legal action,” he warned.
The Chairman of the South Sudan Clearing Agents Freight Forwarding Association, Deng Daniel alleged that the act of forging documents is a ‘coordinated network’ by some individuals and few government personnel.
“Some individuals within the clearing agency that are involved in forgeries, involved in malpractices not only with the department of the National Bureau of Standards but with other institutions also,” he said.
“But we came to understand that these individuals are not working alone without the help of other government agencies,” he added.
Mr. Daniel emphasized that some elements working with the government in the packing yard including the security personnel with individuals from clearing agents are behind the acts.
He assured that they would cooperate with the standard regulatory bodies to ensure the quality of goods and foodstuff before clearance.
“The mandate of the National Bureau of Standards concerning the quality, quality control, and it is not all about the clearing – it is the safety of the country,”
“So, we shall try and we are going to do our best so that we cooperate with all the policies. We have to provide the necessary requirements that are needed for the trade, that are needed also for the customs clearance.”