Government approves 20 million SSP to subsidise prices

The decision was reached after a presentation by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the cabinet meeting as a counter intervention program to minimise the growing humanitarian situation as well as soaring prices of goods and services across the country, Rachel Nyadak the Deputy Minister of Information told journalists.  

There is a hunger gap in South Sudan now given the fact last year it was flooded and some areas also there were drought,” Nyadak said. So there was no good farming. The government raised this concern for the citizens not to suffer from that.”

The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs have been directed by the cabinet to take a lead in immediately implementing the decision, Nyadak said. She said the food stuff once bought will be sold at a price less than a half of the buying price.

She said the two Ministries will for example start procuring food stuffs to Upper Nile State in which they will buy a bag at an estimated 180 South Sudanese Pounds and sell it out to people at a reduced cost of 50 South Sudanese Pounds per bag.

The Ministers have been mandated by the Council to start transporting the food with the Ivory Bank and coordination from the Governors of the States,” Nyadak said.

The meeting was chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The move by the government came amid deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country. According to aid agencies it is feared that 4.6 million people across the country are in need of humanitarian aid.

South Sudan’s government last month expelled the United Nations Chief for Humanitarian Affairs to South Sudan, Toby Lanzer, for warning that the country’s economy risks collapse considering the worsening economic situation amid ongoing fighting between government and rebel forces in the northern parts of the country.

James Alic, a senior economist working with Ebony Center for Strategic Studies, a think-tank based in Juba, welcomed the move but described it as a short term initiative.  

Alic warned about the ineffective implementation of previous resolutions by several government agencies in South Sudan, saying that they do not deliver to the targeted beneficiaries.

We have loopholes that will be exploited by unscrupulous politicians or bad civil servants, so I hope that there are guarantees in place to watch or prevent leakages or corruption taking place,” Alic said.