Dhieu Mathok, the Minister of Investment - Courtesy

The Minister of Investment has blamed the growing controversy over planned dredging activities in the country on lack of transparency.

Dr. Dhieu Mathok said he was not aware of the controversial dredging project and the arrival of the dredging machines in South Sudan.

Dr. Mathok said he was surprised to learn about the arrival of the equipment on social media.

“I was surprised to hear that there are equipment and machinery which were actually brought from Egypt as gift to the country. As a member of the economic cluster, I didn’t know this, I thought they were actually rumors passing through social media,” he said.

In March, the government of Unity State received a consignment of equipment and machinery from Egypt via the Sudan.

The machinery was brought for the purpose of deepening the river beds in the Naam and Bahr el Ghazal basin up to Lake No.

However, the initiative sparked public outcry and controversies, with some members of the public criticizing the move, and demanding the conduct of feasibility studies prior to its commencement.

As a result, President Salva Kiir, on his 11^th independence anniversary address, suspended all dredging activities in the country.

Meanwhile, speaking at the public consultation on the Nile River management in Juba yesterday, the investment minister said lack of transparency led to the controversy.

“We must have to be transparent and maybe the absent of transparency is the reason why there is outcry now in South Sudan when this issue of dredging came up,” he said.

According to Vice President Dr. Wani Igga, the dredging project on the northern tributaries of the Nile river was given a go-ahead by the government during a cabinet meeting last year.

Igga said only three national minister had reservations on the issue, and that the decision was final.

However, Minister Dhieu Mathok came out to say he had no idea about the arrival of the dredging machines.

Mathok said the government should have disclosed the arrival of the equipment to the public for transparency reasons.

“The Egyptians have been announcing what they used to give to the people of South Sudan including medications, when they bring medicine, they are announced at the headquarters, the camera go there and then they are shown,

“Why these things are not announced? And this is where the problem comes your Excellency, we must have to be transparent in addressing the issues of this country.”