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JUBA. – South Sudan has increased work permit fees for foreigners amid a biting economic crunch to widen its revenue base, officials said in a circular seen on Monday. The ministry of Public Services released a circular listing new work permit fees for all foreign workers in the war-torn country. It increased the work permit rates for professional/business class from $400 to $10,000; blue-collar jobs to $2,000 and casual workers to $1,000 effective from the date of issue on March 2.
The decision that came after the UN declaration of famine in parts of the country in late February, has been viewed as a veiled target on foreigners working in humanitarian agencies that are helping the majority of South Sudanese displaced and suffering from the more than three years of brutal conflict.
However, President Salva Kiir’s spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny dismissed allegations of clamping down on humanitarian workers, saying the decision was driven by national interest.
“Work permit is a routine. Any country in the world has a right to impose work permits on foreigners. If you can’t pay $10,000, then you hire a local person instead (of foreigner),” he said in Juba.
“Is there any (country) in the world that does not have regulation for foreigners.
“Instead, the government of South Sudan was asleep and it has now woken up,” he added.
He added that the decision was not likely to have a diplomatic backlash on the landlocked country which depends entirely on it’s neighbors for her imports.
South Sudan in 2016 got admitted into the regional trade bloc East African Community (EAC), which calls for removal of non-trade barriers, harmonisation of work permits and free movement of people and labour across borders. – Xinhua.
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