![[OPINION] – Free Email Accounts Are Bad for Government Business](https://radioyei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/email-case.webp "[OPINION] – Free Email Accounts Are Bad for Government Business")
The writer is a technology consultant based in Juba.
(JUBA) – The Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Sudan still lists ministrytrade7@gmail.com as its official contact email on its verified Facebook page. While this may appear to be a small issue, it reflects a much larger concern about digital security, government credibility and national identity in an increasingly online world.
Government institutions, especially those responsible for economic planning, trade and international investment cannot afford to rely on free public email services like Gmail or Yahoo.
These platforms, although widely used for personal communication, are not designed to handle official state level correspondence and expose ministries to serious risks, including identity fraud, data breaches and a lack of accountability.
The use of a Gmail address by the Ministry undermines public trust and raises doubts among foreign investors and development partners. An email like ministrytrade7@gmail.com lacks authenticity.
Anyone could create a similar address and impersonate government officials, leading to confusion or fraud. Without a domain based email, there is no way to verify that communication is coming from a real ministry official.
Compare this with the Bank of South Sudan (BoSS), which recently transitioned from the unofficial boss.org domain to boss.gov.ss, fully aligning itself with global best practices for digital governance.
The .gov.ss domain is exclusive to official South Sudanese government institutions, providing assurance to users that the entity is real, recognised and accountable. With this change, BOSS also moved its email and web services under the same trusted digital umbrella, improving not only public confidence but also internal data security and sovereignty.
Importantly, .org domains like boss.org (now retired) can be registered by anyone anywhere in the world. They offer no government level authentication. This means malicious actors could easily register a lookalike domain, such as bosssouthsudan.org, and attempt to scam users or international partners. The shift to .gov.ss eliminates this risk by signalling clearly that the website and its communications are state owned and secured.
Governments that take digital security seriously inform citizens and users when they are on an official site. The United States, for example, places notices at the top of government websites that read:
“An official website of the United States government
.gov websites belong to official government organisations in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS and a lock symbol (🔒) to confirm security. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.”
South Sudan’s ministries and departments should adopt similar practices. Owning the domain southsudantrade.org is not enough. That domain, while sounding official, is not exclusive to governments and does not meet the threshold of trust required for national digital identity. The Ministry should immediately transition to trade.gov.ss or another secure .gov.ss subdomain.
The cost of doing this is minimal compared to the risk of not doing it. For example, setting up a secure custom domain email system for a small office of 10 staff could cost between SSP 460,000 and SSP 1.38 million (roughly $100 to $300) per year covering hosting, domain management, and support. That is a small price to pay for securing the digital face of South Sudan.
Other urgent steps that government bodies should take include:
| Recommended Action | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Set up official @gov.ss emails | Confirms legitimacy to users |
| Retire free Gmail/Yahoo accounts | Reduces impersonation and spoofing risk |
| Link all websites and emails to the same domain | Ensures consistency |
| Train staff in secure digital communication | Builds trust and protects information |
| Create ICT guidelines for government bodies | Standardises practices across ministries |
In an era where information moves faster than ever, credibility and digital identity are inseparable. If the Ministry of Trade is truly committed to promoting investment, supporting private sector growth and engaging regional and global trade networks, it must present a modern, secure and professional image starting with its email address.
The move by the Bank of South Sudan to adopt boss.gov.ss is a call to action for all ministries, especially those that deal directly with development partners, the private sector and foreign governments. The Ministry of Trade should be leading this digital transition, not lagging behind.
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