Poor Investment In South Attributed To Law Regulating Land

25 February 2011 – (Juba) – The GOSS Ministry of Investment has attributed poor investment to laws regulating land.

The southern Sudan Interim Constitution gives full ownership of land to the community.

Addressing a press conference in Juba on Friday, the under-secretary at the Ministry, Akuei Deng Akuei explains how these laws hinder investment in the region.

[Akuei Deng] “The issue of land in southern Sudan is the problem obstructing investment because in the C-P-A, the land is said to belong to the community. Once an investor comes, we will only struggle to liaise with the authorities of the area he has chosen to invest in. if he chooses to invest in Central Equatoria, the only thing we do is to write to the governor and the governor will also write to the minister of physical infrastructure. If the choice is Luri, then we write to the commissioner of Juba country and the commissioner then write to the chief of the area. If they agree, eventually that investment will take place. If not, the n the investor will go away.”

Akuei Deng added that insecurity is another factor crippling investment.

[Akuei Deng] “The second problem facing investment in southern is insecurity. Anybody has a gun. If you go and invest in an area where there is no real protection, you will be harassed and perhaps, eventually you will decide to go. And multiple taxation by which anybody with a gun will collect any amount.”

Next week, the Ministry of Investment together with its partners will launch a 3-year investment climate reform program aimed at supporting investment in the region.

The event will be attended by President Salva Kiir, many top government officials and representatives from N-G-Os and foreign governments.