Trade assessment report analyses constraints to trade integration of South Sudan with other countries in the Horn

The Horn of Africa Secretariat published on its website a trade assessment report that analyses the constraints to trade integration of South Sudan with its neighbouring countries in the region. Among the main challenges, the report highlights the poor road infrastructure and insecurity of roads, which hamper the smooth flow of trade, increase cost of doing business and contribute to the weak market integration of South Sudan in the Horn.

The report, drafted by our trade expert Danilo Desiderio after a series of consultations held in Juba from 11 to 16 September 2022 with key government agencies in the country, comes in concomitance with an article published yesterday on BBC news that reports the visit of a World Bank delegation to Juba to analyse the possibility to fund projects aimed at improving the country's road network connectivity.

According to the article, the Bank is not willing to fund any road infrastructure project in the country because of the lack of clear institutional regulations and financial policies in the transport sector. Yesterday, the South Sudan’s Roads Minister apologised to the public for the bad condition of roads in the country reacting to a study from the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) that judged road infrastructure in South Sudan as the worst in the EAC region.

However, our report shows that other reforms in the trade facilitation sector are viable and would be relevant and desirable for the country.