Gov’t turns to Uganda for loan to settle SSBC costs

JUBA – South Sudan government has wrote to the Ugandan government asking for a $2 million loan in order to settle a dispute with Arabsat over its failure to pay service fees of South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), the Nyamilepedia has reported.

Early this week, the Arabsat – a Saudi-based satellite service provider – said it was closing down the country’s only TV station after the government failure to pay costs.

This afternoon, an unnamed foreign ministry official told the Nyamilepedia that the government has asked the Ugandan government for a $2 million loan to cover the costs so that the only TV station is not closed.

“The government of the Republic of South Sudan has requested – from the Ugandan government – a $2-million loan to pay for the SSBC service provider, the ArabSat,” the official who requested not to be named said.

He said this was “to avoid shame for the government of the Republic of South Sudan and its people.” He further added that the ministry of information have wrote to the Arabsat asking for a seven-day period before they could arrange the payment.