( 3 minutes read)
· Being the last country to report the case of Covid-19 in
Sub-Saharan region, South Sudan has started experiencing the pinch of
the pandemic aftereffects
· On the ground, the directives did not go well with the
people. They are finding difficulties in making both ends meet: most
of the small businesses complain that their businesses had gone down
and are complaining that uncertainty about the lifting of the lockdown
can cost them dearly.
The South Sudanese government’s efforts to contain the spread of
Covid-19 have started affecting its people. Being the last country to
report the case of Covid-19 in the Sub-Saharan region, South Sudan has
started experiencing the pinch of the pandemic aftereffects. As a
precautionary measure, President Salva Kiir banned public gatherings
and asked all non-essential businesses to close.
On the ground, the directives did not go well with the people. They
are finding difficulties in making both ends meet. Most of the small
businesses complain that their businesses have gone down and are
complaining that uncertainty about the lifting of the lockdown can
cost them dearly. Shopkeepers complain that their businesses have come
to naught. Whatever they bought to sell remains on the shelves.
Customers are not venturing out. Those who come to buy, do not have
the money to buy and want the goods on credit.
Some traders admitted that they used to make a neat US$200 profit a
day after paying their employees. Now their businesses have been
roiled. If the situation continues, they have to dispense with the
services of their employees. It is not only the employers and
employees, who are up in arms, the local tax authorities are cribbing
about massive loss in revenue due to drastic fall in revenue by way of
taxes on goods sold.
Daily wagers are another lot, who are left with fend for themselves.
They are all hands to mouth people. Lack of work for a day means
poverty for the entire family. A fiscally challenged government cannot
be liberal with doles as has been done by some of the wealthier
countries. Targeted spending for the poor is also difficult since most
of the poor are working in the informal sector. Whatever little the
government is giving as welfare, these illiterate people are unaware
of since they do not have the access to the mass media and the reach
of the government to get across to terrains where these poor people
are living is very difficult.
