The South Sudan Civil Society Alliance is urging the government to issue tax exemptions on food items being imported from the neighboring countries.

The alliance said this exemption will allow the people buy food at affordable prices.

The chairman of the alliance, Akouch Ajang Nyanhom, said the government should also create a cooperative society to distribute food items that have been exempted to different parts of the country.

“We also ask the government to work hard and bring out a single tax policy that can actually reduce the high tax prices on food commodities. We demand from the government today to from a cooperative society so that this food can be distributed in such cooperative society, and will be selling in those cooperative,” Mr. Akuoch said.

Mr. Ajang said that these proposals are part of a petition it intended to submit to the government.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr. Martin Elia Lomoro, said the Council of Ministers will discuss on Friday ways of improving the economy.

Dr. Martin told the media in Juba that the cabinet might resolve to open cooperative shops, where food items would be sold at lower prices.

He said the ministers would discuss whether it is feasible to exempt food imports.