“We are caged”: County traders cry foul over insecurity, extortionists

As the people from Yei, Morobo, and Lainya counties return home from the refugee camps, two things stand between them and economic stability: insecurity blamed on the holdout groups and extortionist officials mounting roadblocks on the road.

They depend on small-scale businesses for a living, despite insecurity and illegal taxes along the trading routes.

Because Yei is one of the biggest towns among the three counties, suppliers have to provide goods to the nearby counties of Lainya and Morobo, which also act as centres that harbour the biggest population.

The traders from these three counties say insecurity within the areas has restricted their movements to a radius of 3 km from Yei Town.

They also say that multiple checkpoints remain a key concern, which threatens to kill their little hope of doing business.

For Esther Abba Soro, a trader in her late 60s selling silverfish and fresh vegetables in Dar el Salaam market in Yei, the lack of peace stifles any small business that tries to mushroom, and women are the most affected.

“We are dying. Our children are perishing. Our children cannot go to school. We thought we could get peace, so we could be able to go and cultivate, but it is altogether difficult. 

“There is hunger, people are dying of stress, and we have been caged here in Yei. You can’t go very far from the centre,” Esther lamented.

However, she calls on the government to speed up the peace process to reduce multiple taxes to improve their businesses. Esther recommends that the government improve the situation to ensure access to food and other basic needs.

A 70-year-old  veteran trader, Alex Amule Enoka, says business has been so competitive due to the conflicting interests between retailers and wholesalers worsened by the expensive goods in the market.

“Things are really expensive in the market due to stiff competition with the wholesalers. We don’t know what we can do as retailers. Wholesalers, most of whom are foreigners, have taken over businesses, “he said.

Enoka claimed that foreigners have taken it upon themselves to increase or reduce the prices because they have coordination among them.

“We cannot talk. The buildings we are renting are being taken over by these foreigners. They come and pay a lot of money to the landlords for a specified period. You just wake up one day and your landlord tells you he or she has increased the rental fee or sometimes given you a few days to find somewhere, “he reiterated.

Abdulkarim, a wholesale trader in Yei town, stresses that the increase in the prices is sparked by several factors, such as roadblocks and insecurity.

“We cannot determine the prices because we are taxed heavily. Goods are brought mostly from Uganda rather than Juba due to insecurity on the road. High taxes have been imposed on us. So, to reclaim our profits, we have to increase the prices, “he noted.

John (not real name), a truck driver who frequently plies the Juba-Yei road, says he concurs that unnecessary roadblocks have strangled businesses in the region.

“From Juba to Yei we have more than 30 roadblocks, of which you have to pay money. If you fail to do so, you will be subjected to detention until you pay. So to avoid having issues with the soldiers, we have to pay, “he explained.

The businesswomen in Lainya have also raised the same concerns, saying the high demand for money by soldiers along the road and a lack of capital to improve on their business are their main challenges.

This is the challenge that faces Siama, a small-scale businesswoman in Lainya, has to contend with this problem to transport goods from Juba to Lainya.

“Our businesses would prosper if the government could help us with the capital. We would be glad, but currently, it’s difficult. We have to pay the same fare as goods proceeding to Yei, we are just near Juba. How do we survive as people practising small-scale businesses? ” she laments.

She adds that insecurity in the area is also affecting their business since they are not allowed to move far from the town.

“We can’t practise agriculture only hoping to survive on these businesses,” Siama says.

However, in Morobo town, businesses have been at a standstill since they are situated at the border between South Sudan, Congo and Uganda.

Norah a businesswoman in Morobo selling fish, says challenges such as transportation, exchange of money and roadblocks are still a threat to the development of small-scale businesses in Morobo Centre.

“As you have seen [we have] no capital, [but just] few customers. Where we get goods is very far and all the money is consumed in transportation of goods from Koboko (Uganda) to Morobo and Ngbokolo (DR Congo). “We appeal to anyone of goodwill who wishes to empower and assist us, the women, as we are eager to improve our businesses,” she said.

 Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa, the commissioner of Yei River County, is assuring the traders that his government is working hard to resolve the issues.

He called upon the traders, chamber of commerce to cooperate with the government.

“We have agreed with the traders that the issue of prices needs to be discussed and deliberated by the parliament because it is already signed by the governor so that tangible tax rates are created for our people in business,” Cyrus says.

According to him, there is a need to promote businesses for the indigenous people so that they can join the competitive market.

“There is a need to empower them by giving them capital to invest in money-making entities and industrial trade so they can empower themselves, which will, in turn, create a big tax base for the government.’’

He also promises that they will empower the chamber of commerce by giving them land so that they can practice agriculture and create stores as they have requested.

Currently, most goods in Yei are imported from the capital, Juba, the nearby border of Uganda through  Kaya, Morobo, Koboko and Ngbokolo in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, the commissioners for Yei and Lainya believe that the construction of the Juba, Yei and Kaya road would boost trade in the area.

“This is a positive move that will reduce the risk of insecurity and damage, hence boosting trade and development,” Cyrus stresses.  

During the governors’ forum that was conducted in November 2021 at Freedom Hall, Juba, resolutions were reached by the government to support the South Sudanese private sector, providing employment and skills to the youth to survive the stiff competition from foreign businesses.

Robert Pitya, the chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce who has been touring the counties of Central Equatoria State, said a lot needs to be put in place to help women and youth if the state is to reclaim the business hubs.

“We want the different organisations and development partners that deal with the economy, women, and youth to provide a helping hand to those who need help,” he said.

Robert promised to open up stores in all the counties to help reduce the dependence on the wholesalers, who in turn also work as retailers.

“We only need a place for agriculture and stores for our goods. We are already set up to provide cheap goods to traders. We must help the people today and not tomorrow,” he said.

“We have talked to the commissioners and have accepted to provide us any necessary assistance that we need, and we are starting immediately,” Robert added.

Yei, Morobo, Lainya and Kajokeji counties are considered to be the food baskets of Central Equatoria State but ever since the conflict in 2016, agriculture has been jeopardised creating hard life for the local population.

Chapter 4.15.1.4 and 4.15.1.5 of the revitalized transitional agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) says the ministry of finance within the first 12 months of the transitional period shall establish the youth enterprise development fund and women’s enterprise development fund for the provision of subsidised credit to women-based enterprise development and capacity building of women entrepreneurs with an aim of uplifting that class of people.

On February 3, 2022, the Ministry of Finance signed a 4 years development plan of $43.7M with the development partners such as UN Women, UNFAO, and UNDP to boost the resilience of the local people.

UNDP sad their “target” was a 60 per cent increase in female-led private sector enterprises and to establish an innovative financing platform using digital and mobile technology to allow MSEs inclusive financial access to growing their businesses.

On his part, the Minister of Finance and Planning, Agak Achuil Lual, said the tripartite funding and implementation agreement they signed with the African Development Bank (AfDB) is aimed at youth enterprise development, capacity building programs, women’s empowerment, and agricultural projects that will be implemented by UNFAO and UN Women across the country.