Makuei says gov’t can’t fix economy alone, condemns citizens’ reluctance to help

JUBA – South Sudan information minister has apparently admitted government’s inability to fix the economy, saying citizens should contribute in the revival of economy, claiming many jobs are available and South Sudanese are reluctant to work.

Makuei who is also the government spokesman made the remarks during an interview with the Juba-based Eye Radio on Thursday morning.

“It is true that the economic situation in South Sudan is biting,” Makuei admits. “Citizens should not just be sitting and waiting for the government to resolve issues for them.”

The senior government official went on to decry reluctant by the people of South Sudan to help teh government, claiming that jobs are available across Juba but people do not want to work.

“There is a lot of construction work; there is a lot of work all over Juba town,” Makuei said.

“Those who are working all over now are not South Sudanese because everybody wants a white-collar job, not knowing that there is no money in the white-collar job,” he claimed.

Makuei’s remarks comes as the local currency, Pound is again losing value against the United States dollar. Traders have told Sudans Post this afternoon that $1 is traded at the rate of SSP 550 and is expected to climb.

Earlier this month, the government announced that it was planning to introduce new currency mainly to force citizens hoarding money at home to seek banking system.

However, the announcement resulted in depreciation of pound because the hoarders scrambled into the market to change their money for foreign currencies as they are not willing to take their money into the banks.

The presidency would later dispute the new currency plan and said information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth who made the announcement wasn’t told to announce what the presidency said was not even discussed by the cabinet.