South Sudan launches business passports
July 21, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan launched last week a new type of passport that will only be issued to the business community.
Agustino Maduot, the director general of the directorate, said business passports had been included in the immigration act.
However, Maduot warned the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce against recommending criminals and called on the business community not to abuse the honour of having a passport specifically designated for them.
“These passports should be given to the right people and so should not be given to criminals to avoid abuses because it is respected”, he said, adding that those issued with diplomatic passports should also portray a good image of the young nation.
The official further stressed that anyone applying for business passports must possess a South Sudanese nationality certificate, a certificate of incorporation, a letter of recommendation from the register of companies, a tax clearance certificate, a Tax Identification Number (TIN), bank statements covering the past three years, and be a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
He warned that applicants with criminal records over the past three years would not eligible to apply for business passports.
The inspector-general of police, Pieng Deng Kuol, urged business people not to abuse the privilege, as has been the case with some holders of diplomatic passports, who he accused of being “undiplomatic” in the way they use the document.
The country’s interior minister, Alison Monani Magaya, who launched the new business passports, warned that the government would halt the issue of the new documents, if it is found that non-South Sudanese are illegally acquiring them.
He said the passports should only be issued to members of the South Sudanese business community.
Magaya hailed the business community in South Sudan saying that they are an important group, with an equally important role to play in the development of the country.
With unemployment continuing to rise, Magaya said the government would do all it could to support the private sector so as to address the problem.
The 64-page passports can be obtained for a fee of 3,000 South Sudanese pounds (SSP). South Sudan now has five different types of passports, including business, special, diplomatic, citizen and official ones.
(ST)