Authorities in Central Equatoria State have renewed efforts to prevent market fires by ordering inspections of electrical connections and urging traders to replace iron-sheet structures with concrete buildings.
The measures were among several resolutions adopted during the state’s third ordinary security meeting of 2026, held on Tuesday, according to Hassan Ghale, the state minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agency and official spokesperson for the State Security Committee.
He said the committee had reiterated an earlier decision to inspect electricity connections in various markets to prevent future fire outbreaks.
“The committee also reiterated the issue of checking the electricity connections at various markets. This decision was taken in the last security meeting, but then it was repeated to enable continuity until all these places are checked to avoid future fires in the markets,” he said. “The second issue that was discussed is to do with people who are selling items on wheelbarrows. Most of the people are now deserting their shops, preferring to sell their things on wheelbarrows, therefore trying to run away from paying taxes to the government.”
“So the security committee has decided that this issue of selling things on the wheelbarrow should stop so that people go back to their shops to make it easy for the government to follow up with them in terms of tax payment,” Ghale added.
He said the committee had also urged the Juba County commissioner and the Juba City Council mayor to encourage owners of market structures built with iron sheets to gradually replace them with concrete buildings to reduce fire risks.
In another resolution, the committee banned small red-cup alcohol produced locally. Ghale said the Juba County commissioner and the Juba City Council mayor had been directed to enforce the ban.
“One is to do with banning the small red cup alcohol which is produced locally and also imported. Those are completely banned, and directives are given to the commissioner and the mayor of Juba City to implement this,” he said.
The committee also addressed what Ghale described as interference by security organs in the administrative activities of the city council and county authorities.
“The committee directed the commissioner and the mayor to stand up and make sure these things (interference) are stopped, and the security organs should also respect that whatever the mayor and commissioner are doing is part of the government at the lower level,” he said. “So whatever decisions are being taken, they (security organs) should not interfere with it. It is for the betterment of every citizen of this country.”
The committee also renewed discussions on establishing a weekly market to reduce congestion in existing markets across Juba and Juba County.
The resolutions form part of the state security committee’s efforts to address public safety, market management, tax compliance, and coordination between security agencies and local government authorities.
The post C. Equatoria to prevent market fires by inspecting electrical connections appeared first on Radio Tamazuj.