By Philip Buda Ladu
African Development Bank (AfDB) annual meeting in Nairobi, ends with governor of the Bank of South Sudan (BoSS) marketing the country for investment opportunities.
Dr. James Alic Garang also sealed a grant deal for South Sudan to be one of the beneficiaries of a financing arrangement meant for poor countries to help them respond to disasters and risks.
The Central Bank governor, who returned on Sunda, had led a government delegation for the AfDB and African Development Fund meetings in Nairobi, last week.
Upon arrival at Juba International Airport, Dr. Alic briefed the media about their participation at the African Development Bank (AfDB) annual conference.
“The meetings were very successful; they provided a platform where we exchanged views,” Alic continued.
“They also allowed the boards of directors of the two institutions, the African Development Bank and the African Development Fund, to make resolutions around a number of issues that matter to Africa.”.
The central bank boss noted that among the resolutions was the need to reform the global financial architecture, something that the participants articulated and pushed them very hard, and their “views were expressed in a communique
“The board also made a number of resolutions about how it can help the bank deliver on the five high-priority areas that AfDB president Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has highlighted since the time he came in 2015,” Alic underscored.
“These issues revolve around the need to light up and power, to feed, integrate, and connect Africa.”
According to Alic, there were also many opportunities that they needed at the regional level, and one of those was the meeting for the Horn of Africa Initiative, of which South Sudan is a member, and a number of issues were discussed.
He said one of their initiatives was the need to connect countries; among those were countries that were least connected, including South Sudan and the embassies from the group.
“South Sudan had an opportunity, like other poor countries, to be granted access under the financing arrangement called the “Africa Disaster and Risk Financing Facility,” Alic emphasized.
“It is one of those chances that is going to allow us to connect South Sudan with Ethiopia and other countries in the region.”
At the AfDB conference, countries and delegates have the opportunity to interact with governors and ministers of finance and other heads of state and exchange views on how to improve global and regional integration.
The BoSS governor underscored that this opportunity gave them and the delegation from South Sudan the opportunity to share our views.
“One of those things that we have highlighted very well, we believe, is the need to tell the region and the world that South Sudan is open for business, that there is so much at home, and that there is a lot beyond the oil.” He stressed, “This is an issue that we have tried to market during this meeting.”