Trucks carrying salted fish destined for Congo via Uganda at Mangalla Port, Mangalla County - Eye Radio | Koang Pal Chang | Oct 23, 2021

South Sudanese fishmongers, who rely on exporting salted fish to Congo via Uganda, are facing obstacles due to export hurdles at Nimule and called for the opening of the Morobo border point with Congo.

The traders appealed to the government to open the South Sudan-DR Congo border point at Morobo, citing the challenges posed by Uganda’s restrictions.

The traders exporting salted fish to Uganda and Congo are encountering hurdles, including denied licenses, transit restrictions to Congo, and burdensome taxation.

According to traders, the Ugandan Authority has been blocking them from exporting their goods via Congo due to undomesticated East African Community customs duty laws.

David Kuany, the treasurer to the South Sudanese Fish Suppliers said that the Ugandan Authority is forcing them to attach themselves with the 10 licensed companies from Uganda.

He said these people normally seats at the Elegu border, waiting for the South Sudanese trucks to clear their products at the border which normally overcharged the traders with over 3 million Uganda Shillings per truck.

“We have been experiencing some challenges with the Ugandan government especially the fishery department and URA. We have been restricted to clear our products using some companies,” said Kuany.

“They have come up with 10 companies that are unknown from Uganda and asked us to use them to clear our trucks. These individuals normally sit at Elegu waiting for our trucks from South Sudan and usually overcharge us with around 3.5 million Ugandan Shillings,” he said.

Kuany also added that the law of liaising with the 7 Ugandan registered companies is deliberately being done as a way of the South Sudanese traders being denied access to import permits.

He talked about six trucks sealed by URA transiting to Congo that were impounded at Shikironga by a Ugandan office named Festo and the trucks claiming the trucks were not licensed to carry fish to Congo through Ugandan road.

“Our products are normally sealed by URA knowing that they are exiting the country. Recently, we transited 6 trucks going to Congo to that side of Kashindi and they were impounded at Shikironga,” said Kuany.

“The officer called Festo claiming that we are using a Ugandan number to transit and those Ugandan trucks don’t have the truck license,” he said.

“We don’t have the license to transit to Congo which is not there in the system, number three we are not attached to the companies they have designed.”

Mr. Kuany said they reached out to the South Sudanese Embassy in Uganda but they were denied access to the Ambassadors and after that they didn’t have anything to do but pay 24 million Ugandan Shillings for six trucks by the Ugandan Office.