South Sudan capital’s mayor bans retail business for foreigners

JUBA – The Mayor of Juba City Council Kalisto Lodu has banned foreigners from doing retail business in Juba,” Juba-based NO. 1 Citizen Newspaper reports.

Mayor Kalisto said the retail business should only be left for South Sudanese nationals.

He said if foreign nationals want to practice business in the country; they should practice it in the whole sale not small scale.

“A foreigner cannot come to South Sudan to be a chapatti seller, bread seller or a hacker. If you do this work, then what will South Sudanese do,” he said yesterday during a demolition of shops along Custom road where most retailers and hackers have built shops for their business congesting the road.

“Don’t come here and do retail business. Retail business is only for the people of South Sudan,” he reiterated.

He said foreigners are competing with the nationals in business leaving the nationals with few things to do.

“It’s our right to protect the small scale businesses of the nationals in the country,” he added.

He said most foreigners are within residential areas besides the markets and urged them to be in their right places.

Kalisto said foreign traders can import goods but should give the retail work to the South Sudanese.

“You don’t come and compete with our people in the small scale business. You want to come and do business as a foreigner; you do the whole sale business. Construct a factory, industries or have a company that imports goods into the country then put our nationals to do the retail trade.”

He said foreigners should respect the laws of the country and its people.

“Whoever is living in this national capital and is a foreigner who does not respect the laws of this country, Juba city council will not let you go unpunished,” he said.

It is not yet clear when the City Council will implement the ban.