Uganda's President Museveni met with South Sudan's Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Labanya Margaret Mathya, and a delegation of senior officials at State House, Entebbe, to discuss strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the nations. President Museveni said Uganda's annual exports to South Sudan have grown from $500 million to $700 million, and identified three key areas for joint action: improving road infrastructure, enhancing electricity connectivity and strengthening security cooperation.
President Museveni proposed working with the African Development Bank to construct the Juba-Nimule road, developing an electricity interconnection between the two countries, and enhancing cooperation between their security forces to safeguard their shared border. He also proposed establishing a one-stop border centre to simplify procedures, reduce delays and facilitate the movement of goods and people.
Dr. Labanya said the delegation came to participate in a business forum aimed at exchanging ideas and finding solutions to cross-border trade challenges. She acknowledged that Uganda is one of South Sudan's biggest exporters but noted more could be done to make business transactions smoother and more mutually beneficial. She said several roadblocks that had impeded traders between Nimule and Juba had been removed recently.
Uganda's Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Sanjay Tanna, outlined shared challenges including non-tariff barriers, delays in clearing goods, insecurity and high financial services costs. He noted Ugandan traders had raised concerns over compensation claims in South Sudan, citing differences in how the two countries handled such matters. Both governments committed to improved coordination, stronger infrastructure and enhanced border management.