(JUBA COUNTY) – The Care Taker Commissioner of Juba County, Kalisto Ladu, has warned foreign traders against engaging in retail business activities within Juba County, saying the sector should be reserved for South Sudanese entrepreneurs.
Speaking to traders at Kubri Habuba Street on Monday, Ladu said the move is intended to create and protect business opportunities for local businessmen and women, while encouraging foreign investors to focus on larger-scale commercial ventures.
“I want to say that any foreign trader should not be a retail trader in Juba County. There should be nobody coming from his home country to sell chapati, onions, and tomatoes in retail business. What will the women in South Sudan sell? A foreign trader wants to sell charcoal and operate a boda boda business in Juba. What will our youth do?” he said.
The commissioner stressed that foreign investors are welcome in Juba County but should concentrate on wholesale trading and company-based investments rather than small-scale retail businesses.
“We welcome all foreign traders and provide security protection for traders from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and other countries,” Ladu said.
He added that foreigners seeking to invest in South Sudan should establish companies and engage in wholesale trade, while leaving retail businesses for South Sudanese citizens.
“If you are a foreigner who wants to invest in business, open companies. The retail business is only for South Sudanese. Foreign traders who want to invest in business should deal in wholesale trade, not retail business, which should be for South Sudanese,” he stated.
Several traders who attended the public-business address at Kubri Habuba on Monday evening expressed their willingness to cooperate with the county authorities and implement the commissioner’s directive.
The announcement comes amid growing calls by local authorities to strengthen economic participation among South Sudanese citizens by safeguarding opportunities for local traders and youth entrepreneurs.
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