Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin chats with delegates after officially opening the 4th oil and gas conference in Juba on Tuesday, 29th June, 2021/Jale Richard/Eye Radio.

South Sudan’s minister for presidential affairs has urged foreign companies to invest in the country, saying “stability” is being restored by the transitional government.

Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin made the call during the opening ceremony of the 4th South Sudan Oil and Power conference in Juba on Tuesday.

“As investors, you need to be told the country is becoming stable and at the moment, we have a government that constitutes a coalition government of nearly 45 political parties,” said Dr. Barnaba Marial, who opened the conference on behalf of President Salva Kiir.

“The government is functioning, we are bringing stability, ” he added.

The two-day event attended by international business people and government agencies is an avenue for South Sudan to dialogue, and strike business deals with companies interested in energy and infrastructure investments in South Sudan.

The country recently got a positive review by the 2020 Investment Environment report by the US Department of State.

The report said the trade and investment conditions in South Sudan have slightly improved following the formation of a transitional government of national unity.

However, the World Bank’s 2020 Doing Business report also ranked South Sudan 185 out of 190 economies on the overall ease of doing business.

It cited investor uncertainty due to the political environment.

But the presidential affairs minister says the transitional government is committed to restoring full stability for it economy to take-off.

Dr. Marial further encouraged prospective investors to explore other untapped resources of the country.

“While you are thinking of oil and gas, look over your shoulders,” he asked the delegates.

“There are other minerals and with the government securing stability, you will be able to look and develop things like gold, tin, and copper but even that is not our big call actually, we have tremendous agricultural land,” added the presidential affairs minister.

For is part, the minister of investment, Dhieu Mathok assured the investors that the country has a suitable investment policy, saying “you will benefit.”