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Sudan Tribune

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South Sudan govt has done better in reconstruction – WB

By Isaac Vuni

April 30, 2008 (JUBA) — The World Bank Sub Office manager in Juba said government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) has done much better in term of reconstruction and development of the war torn south Sudan.

Laurence Clarke said despite the fact that GoSS started from screech in the last three years, it has done much better in term of reconstruction and development of the post war conflict compared with other African countries that underwent the same protracted conflict.

However he observed that the major challenges facing South Sudan government in implementation of the CPA was the lack of capacity building for the most needed skills for effective execution of development programmes.

“The southern Sudan extremely has weak capacity to mange post conflict reconstruction and development challenges;” he said.

Speaking at get-together meeting with members of forth estate operating in southern Sudan capital Juba, on April 29, Clarke said “Media is the ideal window to project developmental activities taking place in southern Sudan to the outside world including update independent report on security. However, such opportunity has been non effective during the past three years.”

He emphasized that lack of information is greater barrier to projecting the ongoing positive reconstruction and development of southern Sudan through Multi-Donor Trust Fund and other international agencies on institutional and human resource capacity building at all levels, Schools and hospitals rehabilitation and buildings, emergency transport and infrastructure needs and national transport routes reconstruction among others happening but are not adequately being reported to the outside world.

The Sub Manager of World Bank disclosed that 15 donors have donated the total sum of 625.7 million dollars as part of their commitment to the first Oslo donor Conference held in April 2005 to April 2008, with the Government of Southern Sudan (Goss) getting the sum of 391.7 million dollars while 234.1million dollars went to the Government of the National Unity (GONU) in Khartoum, besides both Goss and GONU also contributed their share in support of the MDTF respectively.

He said the Multi Donor Trust Fund of South Sudan sector is supporting construction of Juba-Torit-Kapoeta-Nadapal road and Juba-Gudele-Western Equatoria state road.

However, he stated World Bank office in Juba has dropped from funding Juba city roads construction because the process of contracting the contractor was wrong and it’s so expensive if compared to international standard.

On the other hand, he said WB is setting up a Public Information center within Southern Sudan Radio premises for the realization of government of Southern Sudan policy on transparency on provision of access to information to the public among other vital projects.

The MDTF southern sector also will support the acquisition and installation of Information technology facilities for the Goss and states governments.

Finally the Sub Manager of World Bank appealed to all potential donors to generously donate in support the young government of Southern Sudan that has proven its self in delivering services to her people including Management of the Multi Donor Funds within a short period of only three years, by cash donation in the forth coming second donor conference to be held in May this year in Oslo Norway.

(ST)

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