By Lodu William Odiya
The Central Equatoria State Minister of Road and bridges, Clement Maring Samuel has vowed to promote intra-trade through reduction of barriers in the country.
Maring remark came during a one-day workshop on the awareness for implementation of African standards harmonization, which focus on automotive industry
“We need to promote intra-Africa trade by reducing technical barriers. By reducing these technical barriers, of course, roads and bridges need to be built.” He spoke.
He also emphasized the need to ensure materials and construction methods meet the continental benchmark.
“We need to ensure materials and construction methods meet the continental benchmark” Maring added.
Maring underscored the importance of being economically independent in the country rather than politics.
“I want to quote from the recent speaker who has just said, even if politically you are independent, but without economic independence you are nothing” he said.
He underlined that Ministry of Roads and Bridges is part and parcel of automotive industry stating that they need to promote intra-Africa trade by reducing technical barriers.
“This is what is needed in our country and all of us need to capitalize on that so that we can move another milestone after achieving the hard-won independence that has taken lives and effort to bring this nation to this standard” he stated.
The road network in South Sudan is characterised by limited coverage and capacity, presenting significant challenges for transportation and connectivity.
The road infrastructure is underdeveloped, lacking paved roads and inadequate maintenance. The road network primarily consists of unpaved and poorly maintained roads, making transportation difficult, especially during the rainy season when many roads become impassable.
Coverage of the road network is limited, particularly in remote and rural areas. Primary roads connect significant towns and cities, but access to rural communities is often limited or non-existent.
This hampered economic development, access to essential services, and the movement of goods and people across the country.
One of the significant challenges facing the road network in South Sudan is the lack of investment in infrastructure development and maintenance.
Limited financial resources had also resulted in inadequate road maintenance, leading to further deterioration of the existing roads.