By Charles Kay Mark
About 35 trucks of fuel have arrived in the country, as part of an effort to subsidize fuel prices and increase supply.
Managing Director of South Sudan Oil and Gas Commission, James Deng Malimo announced arrival of the Trucks on Wednesday.
He said the first consignment consists of 100 Trucks of fuel initiated by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to ensure energy security in South Sudan.
“Today, I am honored to announce the arrival of the first batch of 35 trucks out of the 100. This fuel will be sold at a subsidized price to ease the burden on our citizens,” Deng said during the reception of the trucks.
Deng further revealed that the commission has proposed to the government to allocate more resources for the long-term importation of essential goods, which would help stabilize the exchange rate of the South Sudanese Pound (SSP).
Jackline Nyibol Benjamin Ajongo, a member of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, praised the move as a policy to support national companies.
“Having fuel in the country is a matter of national security and also a matter of climate change impact control,” she said adding that lack of fuel has led citizens to resort to cutting trees for domestic use,
Ajongo urged the Ministry of Trade and Industry to monitor the market prices closely and ensure that the subsidies are passed on to consumers, rather than being selectively applied.
National Oil and Gas partnered with the national company, Pacific Petroleum Company.
James Chol, a coordinator at the National Oil and Gas Depot, expressed his happiness at the milestone, stating that the team is dedicated to serving the country.
“This is our depo and our team of able-bodied staff doing their best to serve our country, I am very happy that after a long struggle, we are finally going to serve fuel to our people at a subsidised price,” Chol praised.
This development comes just a week after the National Minister of Trade, William Anyuon Kuol, announced the arrival of long-awaited subsidized food items in the capital, Juba.