Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Authorities in Lakes State have appealed to the citizens to embrace locally-made products to boost the economy.
Gabriel Mariel, the private secretary for the state minister of trade and industry, urged the citizens to change their negative attitude towards local products.
Speaking to The City Review at the launch of the first-ever South Sudan economic conference in Juba yesterday, Mariek stressed the need to embrace homemade products to boost local businesses.
“Some of the local produce we have in Lakes State are Simsim, gum Arabic, pumpkin and others. So, we are encouraging local producers to produce more,” Mariel said.
“When you encourage local production, it is when our economic diversification will focus on because we also need to encourage our local farmers so that people of South Sudanese can be able to get something on the table for food.”
A representative of the local manufacturers, Trimu Tapai said most businesses grapple with denial in the market where most people cannot believe that “Made in South Sudan” products actually exist.
“A time people want to even criticize brands because our product is locally made. They advise us as to why we don’t change our brand to other countries,” he said.
Tapai said the businesses have defied the criticism and have managed to improve their production lately.
“We bring the local product used for processing cooking oil from Western Equatoria State,” he stated.
However, he complained about high taxation by the authorities whenever they transport their products.
“Despite that we are striving in the market and able to sell in bigger quantity,” he said.
Some producers like Godwil Juma are aiming at venturing into the markets of neighbouring East African countries.
“We want to be selling even in East Africa but currently we still don’t have enough,” he said.
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