The South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture has announced that the 2023 Quality Award is scheduled for December 15th.
Eric Kawana, the Technical Advisor for the award committee, made this announcement during a news conference at the Chamber of Commerce offices in Juba on Wednesday.
“The quality awards initiative began in 2014, aiming to recognize and reward the best-performing private sector entities. All stakeholders invested in fostering a vibrant private sector in South Sudan are invited to participate in honouring excellence,” he explained.
He further explained the pivotal role of the Chamber of Commerce as the umbrella body for all businesses in the country. Kawana stated, “It is upon the Chamber to convene all businesses to facilitate the sharing of challenges and successes. Additionally, the Chamber plays a crucial role in highlighting businesses that are excelling in the market.”
Kawana provided details about the diverse range of categories for the upcoming awards, stating, “There are approximately 45 categories encompassing various sectors such as communication, agribusiness, young entrepreneurs, business unions, general trading, and others that operate in South Sudan—all eligible for recognition.”
He encouraged active participation from the business community, saying, “We urge the business communities to obtain nomination forms, which we are officially releasing today. Fill out the form and submit it to the Chamber. Subsequently, a dedicated committee will be formed to meticulously review all submitted forms. Following this evaluation, the committee will announce the winners across different sectors at a dinner scheduled for December 15th at Pyramid Hotel.”
Dejan Weldu, the Managing Director of Star Pharmaceuticals and representative of the sponsors, highlighted the vital role played by the private sector in the economic development of countries. According to Weldu, “Private sector everywhere in the world is the engine of any country.”
He emphasized that engaging in business transcends individual profit motives, stating, “Business trading is not only about making profits for individuals; it involves creating impacts in society, identifying problems, and providing solutions across different sectors. This is how we can build our economy.”
Weldu underscored the significance of employment creation within the business landscape, stating, “Creating employment is an integral part of business, and the private sector has the potential to generate hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
“If you look at our country and the population we have, I think we can develop employment in the next 15 years for every one of the working population we have,” he added.
According to Weldu, this approach can have a meaningful impact on poverty alleviation, as he explained, “In the process, we can alleviate poverty here because if everyone is employed, there will be bread in every tenure of the house. So, we must create employment, and our focus should not just be for profit.”
Ladu Lukak, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, explained that the award is bestowed upon companies or investors who have demonstrated exceptional performance in providing services to the people of South Sudan.
“We want to encourage our private sectors in the country. A business that has excelled in areas such as road construction, agriculture, medical facilities, banks, or any noteworthy endeavour— the Chamber of Commerce recognizes their achievements with an award for the positive contributions they have made to our country. There are companies that are doing tremendous work,” he said.