Yiep Joseph
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Minister of Trade and Industry, William Anyuon Kuol presenting National Export and Investment Strategy to President Salva Kiir/photo/credit/press Unit Office of the President/
The Ministry of Trade and Industry will prioritise the exportation of Gum Arabic and fish as per its National Export and Investment Strategy.
Gum Arabic is a natural gum made up of the hardened sap of acacia trees. It is used as an emulsifier in the manufacture of soft drinks, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
To reduce dependence on oil as the only known export, the Minister of Trade and Industry, William Anyuon Kuol, presented to President Salva Kiir an export plan for the new year prioritising Gum Arabic and fish among other exports on Thursday.
According to the statement obtained by The City Review, Anyuon stated that the new plan would ensure that the economy was diversified and improved.
He highlighted that the new export strategy plan would use the most resources in the country but would not reach outside as expected.
“The strategy aims to diversify the economy away from reliance on imports by promoting the export of key products such as gum Arabic, vegetables, oil seeds, and fish,” the statement read in part.
Based on media reports, South Sudan has large quantities of gum Arabic trees in the Pibor, Western and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states and other parts of the country.
The minister said that the country has enough fish to supply the region, adding that such a sector needs to be supported to ensure that enough of it is exported.
Although not developed, South Sudan continues to export fish to East African countries, which is later extended to other African countries through its borders.
Anyuon said the country would involve all the stakeholders to ensure the sectors are developed for the country to export more to bring in foreign exchange and improve the economy.
Also, the minister informed the top office of the significance of expanding the focus beyond the public sector to include the active participation and support of the private sector in improving the export sector.
With South Sudan mainly receiving imports from most countries, Anyuon said the current strategy, if supported, would be able to export more in the future.
Among the few plans are supporting local producers to produce enough products for export, like fish, and strengthening the Bureau of Standards
In 2020, Dr. James Wani Igga, Vice President who heads the Economic Cluster, said the government of South Sudan is seeking to promote gum Arabic exports in a bid to diversify the country’s struggling economy.
Also in the same year, the government launched the export of Gum Arabic, also known as Acacia gum, for the first time to the international market.
The Farmers’ Union in Upper Nile State last year appealed to agricultural companies and organisations to invest and provide aid to Gum Arabic farmers in the state.
According to a 2018 study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Gum Arabic has the power to drive development in the African nations that produce it.
UNCTAD’s report projected the potential for revenue growth in countries that can transform the product into processed export goods.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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