Overview:
Brig Gen Ronnie Balya, Uganda’s ambassador to South Sudan, said it is high time Ugandans took advantage of the improved security situation in the neighbouring country to do more trade.
Ugandan and South Sudanese businessmen have been urged to start joint venture business investments in order to promote growth and development in the two countries.
Speaking during the Uganda-South Sudan Business Forum in Juba on Tuesday, 19 July 2022, Brig Gen Ronnie Balya, Uganda’s ambassador to South Sudan, said it is high time Ugandans took advantage of the improved security situation in the neighbouring country to do more trade.
“Now that peace has returned to South Sudan, I encourage our people in Uganda to embrace this opportunity to expand trade and investment and focus more on Joint Venture Business in the various areas,” he said.
According to Ambassador Balya, both Uganda and South Sudan are led by liberation movements born out of the resistance of bad leadership with common ideas to ensure peace and prosperity.
“Uganda export to South Sudan are in the range of US$ 350m – US$ 400m, and South Sudan exports to Uganda are in the range of US$ 80m – US$ 100m. Before the war in 2013, Uganda exports to South Sudan were approaching US$ 1Bn,” he said.
Brig Gen Balya added that the Uganda Diaspora, now contribute over $1b per year to Uganda, “because they have faith in their home country, unlike in the past when they feared to invest at home.”
South Sudan’s Ambassador to Uganda Simon Duku Michael said the two countries “have strong ties and vibrant historical relations.”
“The Geopolitical significance of the business summit is absolute and a channel to help improve trade relations and grow the trade ratings for both countries,” Duku said.
He noted that whilst at the moment exports stand at $400 million, he is optimistic that the numbers will go up to pre-2013 levels where trade with South Sudan was almost $1 billion.
The Chief Executive Office of Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), Mr Stephen Asiimwe, said Uganda and South Sudan have for long been trading partners and now is the time to solidify our long-held partnership in trade and investment.
“South Sudan is one of Uganda’s major trade partners in the East African Community (EAC). Exports from Uganda to South Sudan have increased at an annualized rate of 46%, from US$17.3 million in 2012 to US$ 357 million in 2020,” he said.
“South Sudan has a population of slightly over 11 million people. South Sudan exports goods worth US$ 850 million and imports goods and services worth US$ 1.1 billion. Uganda has the potential of exporting US$ 500,000 worth of milk to South Sudan yet it exports only milk worth US$ 187.000,” he added.
He also explained that Uganda exports fish cuts and fresh to Japan, USA and France and still has an untapped potential of over US$ 10 million worth of fish that coulc be exported to other markets including South Sudan
“South Sudan has an export potential of US$ 42 million worth of Alfalfa meal & pellets yet it exports much of it (US$ 22 million) to other markets in Asia and Europe but not Uganda,” he said.
According to Mr Asiimwe, Ugandan Universities host a vast majority of South Sudanese Students. Moreover, effective 2014/2015 Academic Year, all students from South Sudan are charged uniform fees like their Ugandan counterparts.
The top imports of South Sudan are motor vehicles ($78.5M), and Food preparations not elsewhere specified or included (US$45.9M), among other.
The Joint Business Forum is coordinated by the Government of South Sudan and the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in South Sudan in partnership with PSFU.
The conference has been themed, “Enhancing Bilateral Trade and Investment through Industrialization and Infrastructure Development.”
About 250 Ugandan entrepreneurs and government officials are in South Sudan to attend the forum.
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