Transport Minister vows major policy push to turn South Sudan into regional logistics hub
Author: Koang Pal Chang | Published: 11 hours ago
Minister of Transport Rizik Zakaria Hassan (January 2024). (Photo courtesy of the Office of the President.)
Minister of Transport Rizik Zacharia Hassan has declared South Sudan’s ambition to transform from a landlocked nation into a regional logistics hub, revealing that his ministry has tabled a comprehensive policy framework and five key transport bills to bolster national trade infrastructure.
Speaking on Tuesday, August 25, while officially opening the 7th Global Logistics Convention in Juba, Zacharia addressed widespread public concerns regarding institutional shortcomings in the transport sector, insisting that the government is actively building the legal and physical foundations for regional connectivity.
“I know so many people have spoken about the shortcomings of the ministry, but let me inform you that we are in the process,” Zacharia told regional delegates and logistics leaders. “For South Sudan, transport is not merely a sector of government; transport is the bloodstream of our economy.”
Addressing the gathering on behalf of President Salva Kiir, the minister emphasized that South Sudan’s economic integration depends on strengthening trade routes along the Northern Corridor and finalizing operational frameworks for the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor involving Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Uganda following agreements signed last April.
Zacharia also criticized persistent cross-border trade barriers within Africa, contrasting the administrative hurdles faced by African traders with the ease of movement enjoyed by foreign businesses from other continents. He called on governments across the continent to ease border restrictions and foster public-private partnerships.
“Trade agreements open markets; transport sectors connect them,” Zacharia said, urging the private sector to invest heavily in local logistics hubs, modern fleets, digital systems, and warehousing facilities. “We do not want this conference to produce mere speeches and resolutions, but partnerships, investments, and technology transfer.”
The three-day convention, organized by the South Sudan Freight Forwarders Association in collaboration with regional partners, brings together international transport operators to discuss strategies for sustainable economic integration across East Africa.