Yei River Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Justin Luate has said poor roads, illegal roadblocks and insecurity were a threat to business prosperity in the ounty.
Luate told Radio Tamazuj on Saturday that all the roads to Yei River County have been severely damaged by heavy downpour and had many illegal roadblocks.
He said the poor connectivity to the greater Yei River County has negatively affected businesses by contributing to the sharp rise in the prices of basic commodities.
The roads linking Yei to Uganda, Juba, Lasu and DR Congo are all in a bad state and vehicles often get stuck with goods. The roads also have several illegal checkpoints where extorting money from the traders and other road users is the norm, he said.
Luate noted that the fluctuation of the dollar exchange rate was also impeding business, especially across the border.
Yei River County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban confirmed the traders’ complaints about the poor road conditions, the checkpoints and the rampant insecurity.
“Businesses are affected by many factors. One is the poor roads, then the many taxes on the routes, particularly from the security apparatus at the checkpoints,” he said.
Taban urged the traders to cooperate with those providing security at the checkpoints to ensure their safety and that of their goods.
Since the 2016 South Sudan crisis, business has never been the same in the greater Yei region, with insecurity being a major issue across the county.