File: Minister of Petroleum Puot Kang Chol | Photo: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio

The Petroleum Minister has said the estimate that 17 percent of South Sudanese Population has access to electricity is not true while explaining efforts to move the country towards green energy despite limited resources for the institutions that are tasked with the responsibility.

“..the continent of Africa is more than 900 million -has no clean cooking gas. More than 600 million have no access to electricity.

“A country like South Sudan has been saying that we have 17% which I believe is wrong. It is not true that we have access to electricity, and the only resource that we have at hand today is oil resources.”

Puot Kang made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after he announced the resumption of oil production in Upper Nile state on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, he said South Sudan would want to move to green energy but the institutions that are tasked with this responsibility are given limited resources.

“South Sudan is not exceptional. We would want to move forward, we would want to move to green energy, and the institutions that are tasked with this responsibility are given limited resources and are also trying the level best for the country to move toward that direction.”

The green energy is a global call for efforts to combat climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Green energy is any energy type that is generated from natural resources, such as sunlight, wind or water.

It often comes from renewable energy sources are solar energy, wind power, and hydro-power.

However, the lack of adequate resources for institutions responsible for overseeing this transition is a significant hurdle.

It is believed if South Sudan which heavily relies on oil revenue, adopts green energy South Sudan, this could diversify its economy, improve energy access for its population, and contribute to environmental sustainability.