The commissioner of Manyo County has issued an administrative order cancelling contracts of agriculture schemes in the county made since 1978.
All companies are ordered to review their lease document and regularize their status under South Sudanese law rather than Sudanese.
A copy of the order obtained by Radio Tamazuj reads : “In accordance with the power vested on me under the Constitution of Upper Nile with members of county legislative assembly and relevant with constitution of South Sudan, I Lt- Col. El-Thaib Okich commissioner of Manyo county, do here by make this administrative order of cancelling scheme agriculture and all contracts since 1978 up to July 2011.”
The order further directs all foreigners who are affected by this order to see the Ministry of Agriculture in the state to arrange their status.
All nationals who have agriculture companies and schemes have to renew their companies and schemes within 60 days from the the date of this order.
Commissioner El-thaib Okich said that most of the companies had their lease made since 1978 under the Sudanese regulations.
“We are informing all companies that acquired their lease under the Sudan that they should come and regulate into the one of South Sudan – we are now a country and we have our own policy of investment,” he said.
The county politician said that many companies were allocated land a long time ago and now those from Sudan have become foreigners so they need to now operate in accordance with the investment policies of the state ministry.
“If you are a national you need just to change the document from the one of old Sudan to the new one of South Sudan,” he said.
The county executive also clarified that the authorities would not touch “community land,” which families will be free to use without papers.