Poor economic infrastructure and political instability contribute to food shortage in South Sudan
By Madhieu Thiep Madhieu, Juba, South Sudan
August 18, 2016 (SSB) — Road transport is one of the cheapest mean commonly used by poor, average and rich class of people globally. All mean of transport including roads are vital and compulsory to be established by government in any promising nation like South Sudan. In this newest nation, roads connectivity, maintenance and repairs and construction have been heavily sidelined and remain a great challenge since we were under Khartoum regime, until the country broke away via plebiscite in Feb. 2011.
Major roads highways connecting former ten states with national capital are completely spoiled and remained flooded during rainy season, hampering transportation of commodities to various states and counties headquarters respectively. An example is Juba-Rumbek-Wau road which is the main route supplying greater Bhar-El Ghazal states with goods had been badly damaged beyond description and repair.
This highway becomes flood with rain water during wet months of the year forcing trucks to camp alongside the roads, for quiet handful number of days or month. Some heavy trucks overturned on this muddy path, with goods causing lives lost and injuries while dozen stuck for a months. This culminated to delayment of food supply reaching the affected areas quickly and forced half a million of people to acute food shortage in the country.
Scarcities of commodities in the market give chance to business people to increase prices of the few available goods, making lives difficult for average citizens and common mankind without an exception. The increment of dollar against South Sudanese pound has been taken as scapegoat by most foreign and domestic traders as a chance to raise the prices in the Market.
In Tonj State, many foreigners only open their shops to sell for you what once wants, after they privately agreed with customer on the price. After selling what a customer wants, they close their shops automatically. The price of one bag of sugar in Tonj Market is currently sold at 6,500 ssp and a bag of flour 5,000 ssp.
Many prices of commodities in Tonj market have skyrocketed by more than ten times.
The state government last week intervened and conducted inspection on all shops in the two markets, and found out that some shops were full of goods but sold at high prices. It was also noticed that most Dufuri traders increased prices on their own wish, putting blame on state government for levying heavy taxes on transit goods.
All of these messes are brought about by lack of good roads connectivity between states and national capital in an addition to poor yield of crops. Roads construction is the sole responsibility of central government and federal roads linking county headquarters to state are maintained and constructed by state authority.
Government of the state and central should ensure that roads are constructed to ease the lives of its citizens and enhance speedy development. Building of roads network will take service closer to the people in grassroots instead of government prioritizing unhealthy activities that are lethal to the nation or state as well.
Highways would have been tarmac during interim and per interim periods, if the government was serious to construct and build roads to poor citizens. Insecurity and robbery would have reduced alongside these roads if there were better constructions done early in the country.
The economic crises grappling with our nation would have been adjusted if there were good roads accessibility. Free movement of goods and service between the states was to be very easy and would in turn boost our economy if there was something done to address the issue of damaged roads.
Now as we speak, most roads linking national capital to states are impossible to pass due to insecurity and flooded water. Citizens have resorted to use air transport which is expensive to be afforded by a street man as the air fare increased from a thousand to 7,000 spp.
Roads leading to counties especially in Tonj State are absolutely disheveled and out of reached during the ongoing rainy season. No quick medical and food supplies to these affected areas currently, and our government is minding less to address this merciless situation as rain continues to pour cats and dogs.
The government of president Kiir needs an immediate attention to repair and tarmac national highways connecting Juba to various states capitals. I know the central government currently lacks finance but should request foreign companies to repair these roads on loan basis.
President Kiir should instruct state governments to construct federal roads at their capacity. In this way we should have best roads network in our beloved country.
Writer is a concern citizen and can be reached at: madhienthiep@gmail.com
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