South Sudan’s government on Tuesday shutdown the mobile network operator Vivacell, citing failure to comply with regulations and policies.
Information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth told Radio Tamazuj that the largest telecom company had failed to pay over $60 million in tax since its establishment, prompting the government to shut it down starting from tonight.
Makuei further said the firm will cease operations tonight for its failure to comply with their regulations.
“By midnight today the national traffic and all the traffic of Vivacell would be shut down,” Ladu Wani Kenyi, the director general of the Communications Authority, announced also on the state-owned SSBC.
The firm was not immediately available for comment on the shutdown.
The government last week suspended Vivacell's international traffic.
Multiple sources told Radio Tamazuj that the government wanted shares owned by top opposition officials in the firm stopped immediately and then transferred to officials supporting the government in Juba, a demand reportedly rejected by the management of the mobile network operator.
Vivacell's inception in South Sudan in 2008 was facilitated by top officials of the ruling party SPLM. Vivacell is owned by Lebanon’s Fattouch Investment Group.
After Vivacell shuts down tonight, Kuwait’s Zain and South Africa’s MTN will still be operating in the country.