Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Select Committee of Parliament on South Sudan wants the government to consider ex-gratia payments to Ugandan traders who supplied goods and services to South Sudan with no documentary proof.
The proposal is contained in the report of the committee which has been scrutinizing the payment of 41 billion Shillings to 10 Ugandan companies. The committee was set up after a government request for parliamentary approval to clear a debt of 151 billion Shillings owed to Ugandan traders and companies by the South Sudan government.
The traders supplied goods and services but were never paid following a conflict that started in South Sudan in 2013. South Sudan and Uganda then entered into a mutual agreement which could see Uganda clear the debt and treat it as a loan to the government of South Sudan. The money will be paid back within five to 10 years with a six per cent interest rate after the first year.
But the MPs say that up to 27 individual traders had claims worth 5.6 billion Shillings that were not supported with credible documentation, and were as such left out at the time of verification and assessment. Some of the claimants lost their vehicles during the conflict.
They include George Tugumisirize (5 billion Shillings), Lt. Col. Onaah John (200 million Shillings), Fatuma Friday (41 million Shillings), Sanyu Agnes Luwijja (375 million Shillings) and Nakyagaba Nuru (37 million Shillings).
According to Committee Chairperson Ann Marie Nankabirwa, another group of six companies who supplied South Sudan require further investigations and are demanding for close to 1 billion Shillings. Additional claims amounting to 6 billion shillings, by 22 individuals are not supported.
Nankabirwa says that although the South Sudan Government cannot compensate individuals and companies who have missing documents and no evidence of supplies, the Ugandan government can consider ex gratia payments to ensure that they do not lose out. Ex Gratia is a sum of money paid when there was no obligation or liability to pay it.
“It is not possible for the South Sudan Government to accept responsibility for any loss suffered by the traders with undocumented and poorly substantiated claims. In this case, the government should consider extending ex gratia payment to this category of traders.” Nankabirwa says.
She adds that the funds should be a form of funding meant to enable them to get back on their feet and start afresh. “Those who lost dear ones or got maimed while in South Sudan should also be assisted from this same fund,” The report reads.
*****
URN
Newer articles:
- South Sudan marks army day peacefully despite threats of protests - 21/05/2019 22:13
- ‘I’ve killed so many people, I’ve lost count’: South Sudan’s child soldiers search for a life after war - 21/05/2019 17:09
- Civilian-Military Relations Improve in South Sudan’s Wau - 21/05/2019 15:09
- South Sudan vows to strengthen infrastructure cooperation with China - 21/05/2019 08:18
- South Africa May Find Partners for South Sudan Oil Block - 21/05/2019 02:13
Older news items
- Saudi Arabia to assist South Sudan's oil sector: minister - 20/05/2019 11:48
- South Sudan mulls closing some embassies to cut costs - 20/05/2019 09:27
- Saudis deposit $250m in Sudan’s central bank - 19/05/2019 14:22
- Sudan: Khartoum, Juba at Odds Over Abyei Stand By UN - 18/05/2019 23:19
- South Sudan: Mutual mistrust stalls peace deal for a further six months - 18/05/2019 18:00
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan needs ‘civic education’ before elections, says bishop - 16/01/2025 16:42
- South Sudan parties set to resume peace talks in Kenya - 16/01/2025 16:39
- Abandoned but not forgotten – the invisible crisis in South Sudan - 16/01/2025 16:35
- The SAF has committed barbaric atrocities against South Sudanese refugees in Wad Medani - 16/01/2025 16:27
- Syria 2025: The historical Syrian project: From revolution to a modern inclusive civil state - 16/01/2025 16:10
Random articles (all categories):
- Vietnamese doctors receive UN Peacekeeping Medal in Bentiu, South Sudan - 16/03/2022 03:33
- South Sudan: new ICRC report sheds light on the plight of the families of missing people - 30/08/2022 02:47
- South Sudan Wants New Site for Peace Talks, Preferably South Africa - 15/06/2018 13:48
- South Sudan crude oil sold in advance till 2027 - 06/05/2022 11:50
- [video] East African leaders gather for Somalia's EAC accession signing - 15/12/2023 00:15
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 61623 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22305 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21491 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 19058 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 18785 times