At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Kampala, the first joint business forum between the Republics of South Sudan and Uganda, with the topic “Enhancing Bilateral Trade and Investment via Industrialization and Infrastructure Development,” was formally started today.
The forum is set to run from July 18 to July 21 in Juba, South Sudan.
The program was started by the embassies of South Sudan in Uganda and Uganda in South Sudan, with cooperation from both countries’ ministries of foreign affairs (MOFA) and private industries.
The South Sudan-Uganda Business Forum, which will be organized by the private sector, will bring together the public and private sectors as well as business partners from both nations through information exchange, working sessions, business-to-business interactions, government-to-business interactions, and a business exhibition to highlight South Sudanese and Ugandan companies.
The formal launch
Solutions to commercial problems and chances to improve business and investment relationships between private and public sector stakeholders will be the main topics of discussion.
Both South Sudan and Uganda are members of important regional organizations.
With trade volumes totaling more than $400 million dollars, South Sudan is one of Uganda’s largest trading partners. With the help of this business forum, trade volumes are expected to reach $1 billion annually.
When introducing the Business Forum, Mr. Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, praised the outstanding bilateral ties between South Sudan and Uganda.
“I am certain that working together will not only improve our friendly bilateral ties but will also considerably improve the livelihoods of our two people,” he added, praising the two embassies’ efforts in coming up with the proposal.
Speaking at the event was Mr. Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In order to boost commerce and investment in both South Sudan and Uganda, he also underlined the necessity for businesspeople to discuss issues and find opportunities.
The Permanent Secretary added that MOFA has the responsibility to coordinate all of Uganda’s interests and advance them on a global scale.
He noted that the Business Forum is a component of commercial and economic diplomacy.
Therefore, he was pleased to open the South Sudan-Uganda Business Forum and urged the business and media communities to publicize the occasion to boost attendance and help the Forum reach its intended goals.
Brig Gen Ronnie Balya, the ambassador of Uganda to South Sudan, said in his remarks that this would be the first business forum between the two countries since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.
The ambassador of Uganda to the Republic of South Sudan is H.E. Gen. Ronnie Balya.
He also mentioned that the most recent Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) meeting was in 2012, which was 10 years ago, and he expressed hope that one will be held soon.
Then, His Excellency discussed some of the anticipated objectives of the business forum, such as a thorough grasp of the regulatory frameworks, taxation, and legal regimes between the two nations to facilitate commerce and a summary of investment opportunities for businessmen and women.
Amb. Simon Duku Micheal, the South Sudanese ambassador to Uganda, commended Amb. Gen. Ronnie Balya for coming up with the concept, which they both wholeheartedly support.
Simon Duku Micheal, the Republic of South Sudan’s ambassador to Uganda
He extended an invitation to Ugandans to contribute money to a few South Sudanese projects that had been recognized but never carried out.
The growth of trade and commerce, the mining sector, the tourism sector, textiles, and oil and gas were a few of the target industries he identified.
After a successful launch on June 22, 2022, in Juba, South Sudan, the Permanent Secretary declared the South Sudan-Uganda Joint Business Forum officially opened in Uganda to wrap up the event.
