"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything, with nothing" By Konstantin Josef Jireček, a Czech historian, diplomat and slavist.
December 16, 2015 (SSB) — As of today, the official rate is stubbornly stuck at 18ssp per dollar; black market rate has comfortably rocketed to 30ssp per dollar. You may as well called this the free floating of the pound Junubeen style.
So what is going on? Simply put, there are no dollars at the central bank, commercial banks, readily available to be exchanged at will and on time; thus, the ghost of the black market is slowly but surely coming back to life.
Until this auctioning process is done–and done right and timely–the black market will continue to haunt the nation. And until more auctioning rituals –monthly or biweekly–are institutionalized and adhered to, it would be hard to keep up with the forces of demand and supply for the dollar versus the pound, a failure of which would tantamount to the resumption, albeit, continued existence of parallel black market that would continue to provide dollars to citizens on time and at will.
PaanLuel Wël – Founder and Editor-in-Chief of PaanLuel Wël Media
PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a prominent news and commentary platform dedicated to covering the news, history, culture, literature, and socio-political affairs of South Sudan and the world. Established in July 2011, the website was born out of PaanLuel Wël’s vision to create a space for free expression and constructive dialogue during a pivotal moment in South Sudan’s history.
Through PaanLuel Wël Media, he has cultivated a vibrant intellectual forum that features a diverse range of voices, from poets, authors, and academics to activists, commentators, and community columnists. The platform is rooted in the belief that an informed and engaged citizenry is essential to the project of nation-building and social transformation.
PaanLuel Wël is a passionate advocate for the power of media to educate, empower, and connect people across political, ethnic, and generational divides. He is committed to fostering a culture of dialogue, tolerance, and inclusivity and is deeply invested in mentoring the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.
