Governor Tong arrives in Juba for economic conference
By Hou Akot Hou
The governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, Tong Aken Ngor on Saturday arrived in Juba to attend the opening of the national economic conference that will start on September 4th.
Tong was received at Juba international airport by the state coordinator, Gabriel Deng Yel and other officials.
One of his entourage, who preferred anonymity, said that the national economic conference convened by the national minister of finance and economic planning Bak Barnaba Chol aims to seek solutions to address the prevailing economic crisis in the country.
The South Sudanese Pounds has increasingly depreciated against the U.S dollar trading at over 1000 in the black market.
“We want to go and find out why the country is failing. Food prices are rising more than before, this national economic conference provides opportunity to look into the problems we are facing as a nation,” he said.
Abuk Deng, a tea seller in Aweil town, said she is thinking of closing her business due to the high cost of operating.
Deng said she plans to venture into farming because prices of sugar have shot up in the market, thus making it hard to operate her small business.
“I can’t afford to buy a small bag of sugar as prices have shot up. If the governor comes back with solutions to the rising prices of goods in the market then it will be good for us business owners,” she said.
