South Sudan urges investors to join oil sector

JUBA – South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar on Tuesday called on foreign investors to invest in its oil sector.

Dr. Machar made this call during a two-day oil and power conference held in Juba on Tuesday.

“We have many opportunities for investment, if you want to invest in agro-industry, it is there. We say since we are blessed with oil, we should use this oil to power our agricultural potential,” Dr. Machar said during the opening of a two-day conference on oil and power.

“We think South Sudan is a land of abundance. We have what it takes to make this country an economic hub. We have the land,” Machar said.

Dr. Machar woos businesses to invest in infrastructure projects, manufacturing, and energy and transport sectors.

“In trying to achieve this vision, we say our priorities must be on two issues in the infrastructure sector such as roads and power,” he said.

The top official unveiled government plans to increase oil production in a bid to provide services to the citizens.

“We are more oriented to increase production so that from the revenue we can build our infrastructural base and we also provide the necessary delivery services such as health, education, clear water,” he said.

“We want to increase our (oil) production, in the last two councils of meetings; the emphasis is when can we increase our oil production? he said.

He stressed the need for investors to make investments in power their top priority.

“We want power, it is one of the priorities whether it is from thermal, geothermal, fossil fuels or from hydro or from solar or biomass, we would want to enhance that because it is apparent if you don’t have power,” he said.