South Sudan urges negotiation of concession rate

By Ngor Arol Garang

May 13, 2010 (WUNROK) — Government of the semi autonomous region of southern Sudan has on Thursday urged local authorities to negotiate concession rates with its business partners to enhance service delivery and accelerate the developmental initiatives in the region.

There is a need from local authorities in various counties in the ten states of southern Sudan to consider engaging all business partners, especially nongovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies and development agents in developmental plans through project proposals, said reverent William Chan Achuil, at South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.

Chan is the deputy of South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission person, Simon Kun Puoch, who has been recently announced by national elections commission as Upper Nile Governor on SPLM ticket.

In an e-mail to Sudan Tribune, he said the issue of concession over certain project between two parties is a good idea; local authorities should discuss that with individual partners to agree on modalities on the matter. In some cases the governments have difficulties in delivering services to the communities and are only assisted by co-operating partners.

Mr. Achuil cited the case of some of the international organizations and companies found in states with clear profiles contributing to development of the community by maintaining surroundings in where they works and lives.

“There are some of none governmental organizations in southern Sudan doing nothing in term of development but there are some organization like UN agencies UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, just to name a few involved in development programs in southern Sudan,” Chan said.

However, there are some of the international organizations whose presence is seen but not their work. You hardly see output of their activities throughout the year. They are neither relief nor development agents because nature of their work does not define anything, he explained.

These organizations needs to be engaged so as to help government in renovation and development of the host state by mobilizing them through project writing and proposal, he said stressing their involvement in the development by maintaining some areas such as the roundabout and some other lawns for example, is part of corporate responsibility and NGOS should be mobilized to take partake in development.

He called on other companies to emulate other companies who have already shown interest in assisting government in development to plough back their profits into the communities through various services under their company social responsibility programmes.

Chan however said he is yet to read reports from state officials and other committees on the performance of the international organizations but said he has reports of some NGOS maintaining surroundings has gone up, hence the need for affordable rates being charged by local authorities.

“When an agent is taking part in developmental activities such building of school, primary health care unit or church, charges against their shipments at customs are reduced to understandable rate. This is what we called concession rate because it is an understanding reached through negotiation over something,” he explained.

He said his commission is looking forward to meeting with head of individual international organizations and their management teams to discuss the way forward on concessional rates.

(ST)