South Sudan yet to pay over $30 million owed to East African Community

JUBA – A South Sudan lawmaker representing the country in the regional East African Legislative Assembly has said that East African Community (EAC) has not been paid more than $30 million since the world’s youngest country joined the regional bloc.

Gideon Gatpan Thor, one of the South Sudanese lawmakers at the regional legislature, said, according to the Juba-based City Review, that the government has been paying its membership fees to the regional body since joining it in 2014 100%.

The lawmaker said that the amount could top over $30 million.

“I think now the outstanding figure must be more than 30 million dollars [and] this is the accumulation over the years. Since we have joined the East African Community we have not been paying a hundred percent for yearly contribution,” Gatpan said.

South Sudan was committed to pay a some of its financial commitments and that and “So we are talking of accumulated amount which is not for this year alone but when a country pays, it equates it to the arrears,” he added.

“It can continue until at a time when the country is somehow better with the finances [and] can pay it all or [can commit] to paying some of the amounts [by giving] a break down on how to pay [in installments],” Thoar explained.