The falling value of the South Sudanese Pound against the dollar has affected border trade between Sudan and South Sudan’s Northern Bahr al Ghazal State, a local official said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Sunday, the deputy head of Warawar chamber of commerce Garang Garang said commodities coming from Sudan have slowed.
“The border trade is open, but the problem of dollars has stopped trucks coming with goods from Sudan because traders import goods, while the prices are shooting up due to dollar scarcity and its increasing prices,” he said.
He said about three trucks arrived in the area over the last two days, but the goods remained in stores when the Sudanese traders decided to increase the prices.
The Sudanese traders wanted to sell a sack of sugar for 800 SSP, and a sack of sorghum for 1100 SSP to cover the cost, according to the chamber official.
He revealed that they cannot do anything to reduce the prices because it is becoming a general problem, but he pointed out that they will form a committee to talk to the traders in order to sell the imported good at affordable prices.
“We will talk to them, but they may refuse because if the South Sudan Pounds are exchanged in Sudan it will be affecting those traders,” Garang said.
Garang expressed concern about deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Northern Bahr al Ghazal State.