Clear pending hotel bills: Ethiopian envoy urges gov’t

Clear pending hotel bills: Ethiopian envoy urges gov’t

The Ethiopian Ambassador to South Sudan, Nebil Mahdi, has called for settlement of the accrued debts owed to some foreign hotel owners and construction companies operating in the country.

Mahdi said the faster this matter is addressed, the more likely it will be to encourage existing investors and potential ones to set up businesses in the country.

“It would be proper to share here the kind of discontent over the much-delayed payments being heard from some companies owned by Ethiopians, who have been providing hotel accommodation services and operating different construction projects, as per agreements reached with the authorities of South Sudan.”

Ambassador Mahdi was addressing Ethiopian investors at a business forum to boost trade between South Sudan and Ethiopia on Thursday in Juba.

“In order to create a conducive environment for investments and businesses—as well as to enable the companies to operate in full capacity and to salvage them from insolvency—I hope their cases will be solved in a reasonable time,” he said. 

It remains unclear how much the South Sudan government owes the hotel owners and the companies owned by foreign nationals. 

Unsettled bills

However, in October last year, unconfirmed reports alleged the defunct National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC)—now the National Transitional Committee (NTC)—charged with overseeing the implementation of the revitalised peace deal owed hotel owners in Juba more than $50 million.

The bills accumulated when the NTC accommodated hundreds of officials aligned with the various peace partners for the 2018 revitalised peace agreement. The government is said to have paid some hotel owners. 

Some of the officials were eventually kicked out of their hotels due to the pending arrears.

In February 2021, some of the hotel owners threatened to drag the NTC to court for failing to clear the bills.

Ambassador Mahdi remained optimistic that the South Sudan government would solve the issue and induce more investors to come to the country.

“I am confident that a more conducive business environment will be fashioned, particularly, by giving satisfactory responses to the possible discontents like solving the so-long delayed outstanding payment issues with the respective companies,” said Mahdi.

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