Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The National Bureau of Standards calls on South Sudanese fish traders to adhere to the country’s regulations before exporting their products to avoid conflicts with the law in the region.
Gloria Nyoka Joseph, the Bureau’s Executive Director, made the remarks after three national fish traders were reportedly sentenced to three months in jail in Uganda.
They were allegedly caught while transiting to DR Congo with trucks not licensed by the Uganda’s Fishery Protection Unit.
A Ugandan Magistrate who spoke to Eye Radio on Saturday said the South Sudanese fish traders were brought to court by the Protection Unit Department in the Ministry of Fisheries in Uganda.
The convicts were also fined 7 million shillings ($7,100) for breaching enforced licensed regulations, which restrict the traders to only use designated Ugandan trucks to transport their fish to Congo.
Ms. Nyoka urged South Sudanese fish exporters to visit national regulatory institutions before shipping their goods to the region.
“We are asking our traders and urging them that it is important for them, that before they take our product outside the country, they are supposed to visit their regulatory institutions within the country,” she said.
“Unfortunately, sometimes we have some traders that think we just have to take our things because you know, they just want to sell it.”
“It could be because there is an ignorance. They don’t know there are some institutions which can regulate and help them to make the right procedures, and this is why I think this issue happened, the issue of the fish.”
“For us, as the national Bureau of standard, we have the standards so at least the trader is supposed to come and inquire from the standard on how he/she can pack these fish products, which size, the labelling, the packaging.”
“This is where if the traders implement this, it will be easier because it will also give us a chance now to ask our partners why are you stopping this.”
She further said that the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries has set guidelines on the type of fish, the size that are suitable for export.
Last week, a lawmaker from the East African Legislative Assembly is calling on South Sudan to expedite the domestication of a treaty, enabling traders to freely export goods across regional borders.
Hon. Kim Gai, the EALA member, highlighted the pending laws yet to be ratified by South Sudan, hindering the country’s ability to engage in trade freely like other EAC partner states.
His call follows difficulties faced by South Sudanese fishmongers, including denied licenses, transit restrictions to Congo, and heavy taxation.
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