An Outsider's View of South Sudan     

BY: Mel Niland, (U.K.)

JULY 31/2011, SSN; I have worked abroad for many years now, in places such as Afghanistan, Algeria and Kenya to name but a few. I am now resident in Khartoum and have watched with anticipation the emergence of a new country come to fruition.

I visited Juba just a couple of weeks ago and saw for myself the things that , in my opinion, need to be done to at least start the country rolling into the international playing field of politics and commerce.

Firstly infrastructure

You cannot have a good economic platform without a good infrastructure. This means roads, houses, hotels, hospitals, schools and even a railway line. Not just in Juba, but an infrastructure that will link up the entire country so that food, materials and people can move quickly and easily throughout the whole nation.

This has started in Juba and I could see that things were progressing, but not really at a fast enough pace. Roads were being built and then people were being employed to sweep the sand from them. Surely these people would be better employed in actually building more roads instead of being a major hazard to traffic. Sweep the sands from the roads when they are complete!

Houses and hotels are being built, but who is actually supervising the way they are being built? My background is electrical and construction and from what I saw of the buildings some of them could be downright dangerous, with faulty wiring and poor materials being used. These houses may look good to start with, but in 2 or 3 years time will have developed many faults.

All these things need to be done – that is definite – but please do it the right way from the start.

The new airport terminal is under construction and has been for some time. I think a big push to get this completed would benefit everybody as this is the first thing that foreign investors will see when they arrive. First impressions count!

Foreign Investment

It is true of every country that foreign investment plays a big roll in their growth. What now is Southern Sudan doing to attract investors?

Yes, there are some incentives being offered with things such as reduced taxes and no import charges, but is this enough?

It is very difficult to get information about setting up business in South Sudan (I know as I have been trying). There are no set fees that I could find for all of the licenses needed and the process seems very laborious indeed with the prospective business owner having to go to several different departments for approvals.

Why not set up one governing body for business to help people start their own companies and to guide them in best practises. This would then see a huge influx of money and many jobs created for local people.

Agriculture

South Sudan has the potential to feed itself. The country is rich in fertile land and livestock. The government needs to invest in the people and their farmlands.

Why not offer loans to farmers to increase their crops or to increase their herds of sheep and cattle? The farmers would then need to take on more people to look after their farms and more jobs would be created. These loans could then be paid back over time when the farmer has seen the profit of his labours.

Be seen internationally

Invite international journalists into government so that the rest of the world can see how the emergence of a new nation is taking place. Allow unrestricted access to TV crews so that the rest of the world can see what South Sudan has to offer. Speaking as a Westerner, I would be very interested in seeing this type of thing and the whole profile of the country would be lifted.

Modern day news moves at a very fast pace and when South Sudan became independent it was at the forefront of international news, but you have to fight to stay ahead and these things can soon be forgotten by the rest of the world.

Finally money

South Sudan has recently introduced the new pound. This was a good move and a step in the right direction as long as everybody will be able to change their money in time. But what about the US Dollar?  Will this still be accepted at most major premises? I would prefer the answer to be no. Save the Dollar for international transactions, or change it at banks or at official outlets. There would then be more clarity on prices.

 A Western standard hotel in Juba currently cost about $150 or more per night. If I was in the U.S. and paid that for a room then I would be in the lap of luxury, but in Juba I was lucky to get hot water!

These are just a few things from a short Juba visit and I am sure that the average Southerner has much more to worry about in his day-to-day life, but small steps can lead to great things and I can see a potentially bright future for this new nation.

I know that a new country will not be built overnight, but the foundations that are put down now will decide if the country will still be standing solid in the future.

Mel Niland, British Embassy, Khartoum, Sudan

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