The second Uganda-South Sudan Business Forum and Expo has opened in Kampala, bringing together government officials, diplomats and private sector players from both countries to discuss ways of boosting cross-border trade, improving border security and expanding investment opportunities.
The three-day forum, running from October 13 to 15 at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, is expected to provide a platform for businesses from the two neighbouring countries to address trade barriers, strengthen business partnerships and identify opportunities for economic cooperation.
Uganda’s Ambassador to South Sudan, Brig. Ronnie Barya, said the forum offered an opportunity for both countries to assess the progress made in their economic relations, identify persistent challenges and develop practical strategies to strengthen bilateral trade.
“This is a good opportunity to evaluate ourselves and plan well. Where are we? Are we progressing? Are we degenerating? Are we stagnating? Where are we as the South Sudan and Uganda business community?” Barya said.
Brig Barya said the platform would enable private sector players from Uganda and South Sudan to examine their achievements and challenges while identifying opportunities to grow their businesses and contribute to the economies of both countries.
“The forum will enable the private sector in Uganda and South Sudan to examine achievements and challenges, but also identify opportunities that can be explored to expand their businesses and our economies,” he said.
The ambassador emphasised that Uganda and South Sudan shared historical ties, diplomatic relations and growing commercial links, strengthened by their membership in the East African Community (EAC).
He described cooperation between the two countries as strategically important, arguing that their shared interests should translate into practical measures that promote peace, freedom and economic prosperity.
“Therefore, the geopolitical, strategic value and significance of the Uganda-South Sudan cooperation is absolute,” Barya said.
A major focus of the forum is expected to be the removal of obstacles affecting the movement of goods and services across the Uganda-South Sudan border.
Barya said the business community needed an enabling environment in which traders could operate efficiently, establish partnerships and access markets without unnecessary administrative and security-related challenges.
He outlined several objectives for the forum, including creating business-to-business networks, sharing experiences, raising awareness about investment opportunities and establishing a joint Uganda-South Sudan business forum that would meet regularly.
The proposed platform would provide a mechanism for businesses to engage with authorities, raise concerns and follow up on issues affecting cross-border commerce.
Barya also linked the forum to wider bilateral efforts to strengthen cooperation on trade, security and immigration, noting that previous engagements between the two governments had emphasised joint border meetings as a way of addressing shared challenges.
He said the business forum, alongside border meetings and the anticipated Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) meeting, should help advance peaceful coexistence, improve trade and strengthen coordination between the two countries.
“Enhance bilateral trade by identifying and resolving tariff and non-tariff barriers that hinder the smooth movement of goods and services,” Barya said, outlining one of the priorities for bilateral cooperation.
He added that stronger coordination among border authorities was necessary to combat cross-border and transnational crime while protecting traders, investors and communities living along the border.
Other priorities include harmonising customs and immigration procedures to reduce delays at entry points and facilitate the lawful movement of people and goods in line with EAC protocols and bilateral agreements.
The discussions are also expected to cover market access, product standards, customs revenue management, infrastructure, security, migration, refugee management and social services.
Barya said the meeting should produce concrete commitments rather than end with general expressions of goodwill.
Among the expected outcomes are a joint communiqué outlining agreed resolutions, the establishment of joint technical committees to oversee implementation, and a roadmap with timelines and measurable targets for addressing border-related challenges.
He also called for stronger coordination between border authorities and regular follow-up meetings to assess progress on issues affecting traders and border communities.
South Sudan’s Ambassador to Uganda, Paul Malong, said the two countries shared a common history and vision for prosperity, with trade playing an increasingly important role in their relationship.
He noted that South Sudan’s admission to the East African Community in 2016 had marked an important step towards regional economic integration and strengthened opportunities for trade with neighbouring countries.
“South Sudan has one of Uganda’s leading export destinations over the years. Ugandan traders are among those doing business in South Sudan, especially in the five major markets in Juba, with the majority of commodities such as construction materials used in Juba originating from Uganda,” Malong said.
He argued that bilateral trade should be viewed within the broader regional agenda of industrialisation, investment and economic transformation.
Referring to the third annual Regional Industrialisation Conference held in Kampala in August, Malong said the discussions had reinforced the need for East African countries to treat the region as a shared production and investment space rather than a collection of separate national markets.
“The central message was clear. Eastern African countries increasingly regard the region as a single production and investment space, rather than a separate national market. Regional integration must move beyond policy commitment towards implementation, investment, and measurement of economic outcomes,” he said.
Malong identified regional value chains, industrial finance, trade facilitation, infrastructure and energy as priorities that should guide cooperation between Uganda and South Sudan.
He urged businesses to take advantage of the opportunities available in both countries, stressing that the private sector was central to economic transformation.
“The private sector is not an expected expert in this area. You are the engine of economic transformation,” he said, before assuring investors that South Sudan remained open for business.
Despite the growth in commercial relations, Malong said traders continued to encounter challenges that required coordinated intervention by government agencies in both countries.
He cited concerns affecting South Sudanese exports, including fish destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo through Uganda, and called for closer cooperation between the two countries’ trade ministries and standards bodies.
He urged the South Sudan Bureau of Standards and Uganda National Bureau of Standards to work together to resolve issues relating to quality assurance, trade support, certificates of origin and the efficiency of border clearance.
Malong said addressing these concerns would improve traders’ confidence and strengthen the competitiveness of South Sudanese products in regional markets.
He also raised concerns about South Sudanese traders’ access to Ugandan manufacturers and distributors, saying some businesses struggled to purchase goods directly from producers for onward sale in South Sudan.
“Our traders don’t have access to manufacturing to buy goods from Uganda,” Malong said, adding that some transporters based in Juba from neighbouring countries appeared to dominate access to certain supply channels.
He called on the Ugandan government and relevant trade authorities to address the matter, arguing that South Sudanese traders with the capacity to buy goods directly should be able to do so.
“We really need to address this issue so that South Sudanese who have got the capacity should be able to buy goods and services from Uganda,” he said.
The ambassador also highlighted digitalisation initiatives aimed at improving revenue collection and easing cross-border trade.
He said the South Sudan Revenue Authority, working with its operating partners, had introduced a digital tax and levy system to strengthen revenue collection and address tax evasion.
Malong further pointed to the electronic permit system launched jointly by the South Sudan Revenue Authority and Uganda Revenue Authority last year, saying it had contributed positively to revenue generation and border clearance.
He called for continued cooperation between the two revenue authorities to address emerging concerns through existing bilateral mechanisms.
“I want to emphasise that South Sudan’s approach to digitalisation is in the spirit of partnership, mutual respect and shared economic interest,” Malong said.
He added that continued collaboration between the two authorities would be important in resolving future challenges and supporting smoother trade between the two countries.
As the three-day meeting continues, businesses and government representatives will be expected to identify practical measures to reduce trade barriers, improve border efficiency and expand investment, with the success of the forum ultimately depending on the implementation of commitments made in Kampala.