Machar officiates 2022 national oil and power conference

JUBA – South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny on Tuesday officiated the opening of the national oil and power conference 2022, saying during his remarks that the world’s youngest country – which has suffered conflict – has a vision to become an economic hub for east and central African countries.

Machar who is also the leader of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) stressed that South Sudan is the only major oil producing state in East Africa and is of strategic importance to the entire region and is well positioned to trigger new investments and long-term developments across the energy value chain.

“We have a vision to become the economic hub of this part of the world, particularly east and central Africa. This is a land of abundance. We have what it takes to make this country an economic hub. We call upon you to come and invest,” Machar said.

“We are more oriented to increase production so that from the revenue, we can build our infrastructural base and provide the necessary delivering services such as health, education and clean water,” the second-most powerful man stated.

For his part, oil minister Puot Kang Chol called on investors to come to South Sudan to connect with local companies.

“We are looking for investors to come to South Sudan and to connect with our national and local companies. The Ministry of Petroleum, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, has launched a competitive tender for the commencement of environmental audits across the industry,” he said.

“This will help the country review, improve and strengthen environmental laws. On transparency and accountability, the Ministry continues to report on daily production and the marketing of petroleum products. We are also currently being audited as we are also under the law and must be audited by those who are mandated to do so,” he added.

Minister of mining Martin Abucha for his part echoed the call by Kang Chuol.

“It is definitely the time that we need investment. Energy is what we want today. The transition from fossil fuel to green and clean energy is a demand of the world today. Without this transition, we will not be able to improve our livelihoods. But most importantly, a just transition is what we need today,” he said.

“South Sudan has the potential to export not just to Africa but the world. Particularly the mining sector, we have many minerals. We will be the engine for the transition,” he added.

In 2022, South Sudan has been and continue to prioritize energy partnerships with the aim of enhancing exploration and production. Countries such as South Africa and China, present in South Sudan for a number of years, are looking at improving their footprint across the high potential market.