He said the Chamber of Commerce for South Sudan (CCSS) was formed earlier in
Juba but that an all inclusive one, South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, Industry
and Agriculture (SSCCIA), was formed in October 2005 and registered, a month
later (November 2005), with the Secretariat of Commerce, which at the time,
registered companies, NGOs, and associations. “It was formed in such a
way that it included all the business in order to have a wider say to influence
the business community,” he said.
Date: 5th February 2007
The private sector in South Sudan is still in its embryonic stage, says South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Chairman (SSCCIA), Mr. Ngor Ayuel Kacgor in a statement to Khartoum Monitor Saturday, September 2, 2006.
After the formation of the Government of South Sudan (GOSS), Kacgor said, the Registrar at the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development took over the task of registering companies, associations and NGOs. As such, a decree was issued for NGOs, associations, and companies to re-register with the Registrar in the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development. “We re-registered the SSCCIA with the Legal Affairs Ministry. In August this year, 2006,” Kacgor said.
He said since its formation in October 2005, the SSCCIA tried to organize the Chamber of Commerce at the different level of governments, South Sudan, States and county. “There will be SSCCIA in all the states. It is a huge work. In April this year, we formed Yei branch as it is an exit and entry point for goods in South Sudan. It as become a very important business town. In May, we formed Wau branch in Western Bahr el Ghazal State. In June, we formed Malakal branch,” he explained.
He further explained that when a state meets the criteria for the formation of a branch SSCCIA, we move there to organize the formation of a branch. “The criterion to be met is least fifty business executives who have registered their names to form a branch of the chamber of commerce. For the business executives to become members of the SSCCIA, they must be running formal business, legally registered with the concerned authorities in town,” Said Kacgor.
He said for counties, only thirty registered business men and women were required. “This is in accordance with the SSCCIA’s constitution. The building of structures is a process for the Chamber to have a comprehensive network with all the business community in South Sudan,” Kacgor said.
“In modern economy, there are three main actors, the public sector which is the government, the private sector and institutions of civil society. For an economy to develop, the three main actors must get established and work jointly in such a way that can bring in positive results. In other words, creating jobs to solve burning social problems of unemployment, accumulating wealth in the country and developing the skills of the people,” said Kacgor.
He said without an institution of private sector through which the business community can communicate positively with the public sector and the civil society organizations, there would be no effective participation in economic development. “That institution of private sector is the Chamber of commerce which plays a major role in connecting national entrepreneurs with regional and foreign investors. “No country develops alone,
without linking up with investors from other countries.” The Chamber of Commerce, he said, articulates concerns of the business community for a better legal framework, facilitative and supportive of the businesses, otherwise, the economic circles of pub