Gov’t awaits return of Vivacell

JUBA – South Sudan government is saying that it is still waiting for return of Telecom operator, Vivacell, to service in the world’s youngest country, almost three years after its controversial shutdown.

The Director-General of National Communication Authority, Napoleon Adok Gai, said during an interview with Miraya Radio on Saturday morning that the Telephone operator still has government license.

“We still consider Vivacell operational because they still hold our license,” Gai said.

“They were only suspended to put their house in order but they have not come back to us,” the government official added.

In March 2018, information minister Michael Makuei said the then largest telecom company in South Sudan had failed to pay over $60 million in tax since its establishment, prompting the government to shut it down starting from midnight March 27, 2018.

Then Director-General of Communication Authority, Ladu Wani Kenyi, said at the time that the firm would cease operations later that night for its failure to comply with government regulations.

“By midnight today the national traffic and all the traffic of Vivacell would be shut down,” Ladu said at the time.