Kiir’s UAE visit will pay dividends, says Ateny

President Salva Kiir’s recent trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may not have left a feeling in the hearts of many people. But for the president’s office, the recent visit which had a large group of high profile government officials may have provided incentives to the local investors as well as job seekers. During the visit, the statehouse shared a statement of optimism, arguing the trip would pay dividends by wooing foreign investors into the country’s economy.

However, for some citizens, signing investment deals is one thing and creating an environment is another. They believe that there is an infrastructural gap that may hinder some investors from making the bold move of venturing into the market.

In an exclusive interview with The City Review, Ateny Wek Ateny, President Salva Kiir’s spokesperson, argued that the latest call was unique and essential because it was made by the head of state himself.

 “It (The 2020 Expo) could have been attended by the ministers of investment, culture, and trade, but the president went there himself with the weight of the Head of State to convince the investors to come to the country,” Ateny said.

Ateny said the offer would relatively benefit locals as far as the partnership is concerned.

“Our laws require that any investor that comes to South Sudan must at least have a junior partner as a South Sudanese. So, it will provide a significant opportunity for our people with at least a small percentage of 1 to 10 per cent of locals getting employed and running those companies, “Ateny stated.  

Stipulated rules

According to Kiir’s press boss, administrative and financial management portfolios will be controlled by the investor, but other job opportunities will go to the citizens as direct beneficiaries.

President Salva Kiir made a call during the 2020 Expo conducted in the United Arab Emirates last week.

Ateny stressed that President Kiir had to attend the 2020 Expo in the UAE to inform the leaders of the UAE and the world about the prevailing investment and development opportunities that exist in the country.

“It was good to hear from the president because he will be the most trusted man because if he tells you that I have invited you for the investment, then the investor would even know that he will be secure because he is hearing from himself,” he explained.

Investment Opportunities                               

The UAE investors and their corporations are invited to South Sudan to invest in the areas of oil, gas, agriculture and animal production, which are divided into; wild animal and livestock sectors respectively.

“The wild animals are for tourism and livestock. We can even export fresh meat to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates because we have a lot of cattle,” Ateny said.

This means there are four vast underlying investment opportunities the investors could grab to make a difference in South Sudan, according to the official.

The official said the deal would be the best business link for the two countries, revealing the investors were coming to South Sudan in good numbers.

Different

When asked to explain the uniqueness of the offer that will make the investors jump into the country’s investment sector, Ateny said the President had consented to the invitees.  

Ateny said President Kiir had briefed the investors on the significant steps that were being undertaken towards the final implementation of the peace agreement.  

Steps

“Nowadays, people are on the finishing touches of graduating the unified forces; and this is Chapter Two of the peace agreement. If the unified forces were graduated, then we could say, we would remain with less than 20 per cent, “Ateny said.

He stressed that the investors who might have been inquisitive about the country’s security situation can now comprehend clear steps and evidence that the country is ready to host developmental investors, affirming that “they will be secured”.

“They need to come because there is nobody in South Sudan that will want to go to war again. We are fed up with war, “he concluded.

Sworo Wilson Sebit, a concerned South Sudanese, said he doubted the feasibility of the move owing to the poor infrastructural setting of the country.

“We don’t have the infrastructure. So, I doubt If this opportunity will answer the intended call,” he said.

Dr Abraham Maliet Mamer, a Senior Economic Advisor to the South Sudan Economic Cluster, said the invite was a “sealed deal” that would see the investors take up the offer.  

“When the head of state invites people to come to his country, it is definitely like a sealed deal; so, those investors have got a seal of the republic.” This means that it is completely accepted from the highest level, I believe it works, “he told The City Review on Sunday in Juba.

The senior economist appealed for the correct presentation of the country’s various situations to make investors put priority on their investment considerations for South Sudan. 

“We should not be telling investors something that does not exist. We have to tell them the correct situations, “he said.

“We have to explain to them our laws; our investment environment because the climate is important. We must explain our investment climate here,” Dr Mamer urged.

The senior economist revealed that the pre-existing shortcomings in the area’s investment, which include manpower and security, should also be explained to them so that they can broadly plan.

“When they are coming here, we need them to be mindful of the non-existence of two or three. We need to tell them that we do not have electricity so that they come and invest in providing electricity,” Dr Mamer noted.

“We tell them that we do not have enough manpower to deliver on what they want; so, we need to let them know that as well as our investment regime, which has less incentive,” he concluded.

According to Dr Mamer, such frank presentations would make it possible for them to plan and turn forecasted challenges on the ground into opportunities when they come to South Sudan.