Youth Minister Atong Kuol spoke on Eye Radio's Zone 72 on Saturday

The Ministry of Youth and Sports, in partnership with the Embassy of Pakistan, is developing a National Youth Support Programme expected to benefit more than one million young people through affordable financing for entrepreneurship and business development.

Youth and Sports Minister Atong Kuol Manyang said the programme would help young people start or expand businesses while addressing the high rate of youth unemployment.

“Our meeting’s agenda was a national youth support program. It’s a national program for youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion through affordable financing,” Atong said.

He said the programme would provide funds through different banks, with beneficiaries expected to repay the financing over periods of 12, 18 or 24 months.

“So through this project funds will be given to youth probably in a period of 12 months, 18 months, 24 months and even monthly installments,” he said.

Atong described the arrangement as a revolving fund, where repayments would be used to finance other groups of young people.

“So it’s like a revolving fund where it is given and after a certain period it is brought back and given to other groups of youth. This will be done through different banks,” he said.

The proposed programme is being developed jointly by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Embassy of Pakistan and the Office of the Vice President for the Gender and Youth Cluster.

The initiative was discussed as South Sudan marked International Youth Day on August 12, with emphasis on expanding economic opportunities and supporting young people to contribute to national development.