By Alan Clement
South Sudan’s government has launched a high-level inter-ministerial probe into operations at the Nimule border, signalling concern over persistent trade bottlenecks at the country’s most important commercial gateway.
According to a statement from the Trade Ministry, the fact-finding mission led by the Minister of Trade and Industry Atong Kuol Manyang, who arrived in Nimule is aimed at assessing border efficiency, revenue procedures, and coordination among agencies operating along the corridor.
The reception by SSRA Commissioner General William Anyuon Kuol placed customs and revenue administration at the center of the Nimule corridor assessment.
“This mission is about identifying practical challenges on the ground and fixing them,” Minister Atong said upon arrival.
She added, “Nimule is a lifeline for our economy, and inefficiencies here directly translate into higher prices, delays, and lost revenue for the government.”
Minister Atong was accompanied by a multi‑agency team drawn from both government and the private sector including Mary Hillary Pitia, Undersecretary in the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, whose presence underscore the corridor’s importance for South Sudan’s regional integration.
Gloria Nyoka Joseph, Executive Director of the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS), also took part, highlighting the need to balance trade facilitation with quality control and compliance while members of the National Assembly Committee on Trade and Industry added legislative weight to the delegation.
Senior figures from the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture rounded out the team, alongside other key stakeholders. Their collective presence reflected the government’s intent to tackle Nimule’s challenges through broad institutional coordination and stakeholder engagement.
According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the mission will focus on three priority areas: border procedures, trade facilitation, and institutional coordination.
At the centre of the inquiry is the efficiency of entry and exit protocols for goods and services. Long clearance times, multiple checkpoints, and overlapping mandates among agencies have frequently been cited by traders as major constraints to doing business through Nimule, which handles the bulk of South Sudan’s imports from Uganda and the wider East African region.
William Anyuon Kuol said the SSRA welcomed the review, noting that revenue performance is closely linked to how smoothly goods move across the border.
“Effective customs operations depend on strong coordination with sister agencies. This mission provides an opportunity to address gaps, eliminate duplication, and improve compliance without disrupting trade,” he said.
Nimule serves as South Sudan’s busiest commercial corridor, linking the country to the port of Mombasa through Uganda. Essential commodities including food, fuel, construction materials, and medicines enter South Sudan through this route, making its performance critical to price stability and supply chains nationwide.
SSNBS Director Gloria Nyoka Joseph said standards enforcement would be a key part of the assessment. “Our responsibility is to ensure that goods entering the country meet safety and quality requirements,” she said.
“But this must be done in a way that is efficient, predictable, and coordinated with other border agencies,” she added.
The inclusion of the Ministry of East African Community Affairs reflects the regional dimension of the exercise. South Sudan is a member of the EAC and is expected to align its border procedures with regional trade and customs frameworks aimed at easing the movement of goods and people.
Mary Hillary Pitia said the mission would help identify areas where national practices diverge from regional commitments. “Trade facilitation is not only a domestic issue; it is also a regional obligation,” she said.
She added, “Improving Nimule strengthens our integration within the East African Community.”
The delegation is expected to hold consultations with border officials, clearing agents, transporters, and local traders to map bottlenecks and propose corrective measures.
These may include simplifying procedures, improving information sharing among institutions, and reviewing the deployment of agencies at the border.
The government has in recent years identified non-oil revenue mobilisation and trade facilitation as key pillars of economic recovery. With oil revenues volatile and fiscal pressures mounting, improving performance at strategic entry points such as Nimule has taken on added urgency.
At the conclusion of the mission, the Ministry of Trade and Industry is expected to compile a report outlining findings and recommendations for cabinet consideration.
“As a government, we cannot afford inefficiency at our main gateway,” minister Atong concluded adding, “What we learn here will guide reforms to make trade faster, fairer, and more transparent for the benefit of traders, consumers, and the national economy.”