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South Sudan To Join List of Least Developed Countries
15 November 2012
[Gurtong] - Government Spokesperson and Information Minister Dr Barnaba Marial told journalists that the decision was reached by the Council of Ministers in a meeting chaired by the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.
“The council of Ministers has approved the Republic of South Sudan to join the club of the least developed countries,” Marial told journalists shortly after the meeting.
South Sudan is on a tough economic path after shutting down her oil production early this year on grounds that Sudan was looting the resource.
The one year old nation which broke away from Sudan last year after ending decades of civil war experiences incredible challenges including shortage of food and basic needs.
The United Nations had early this year warned at least 4.7 million South Sudanese lack enough food this year and called for appropriate policies to confront the threat.
The infant nation is also grasping on how to overcome high maternal and infant mortality rate in which the UN said is one of the countries ranking high in the world.
On a brink of war with Sudan four months ago, new nation is also battling with home insecurity that bars efforts to boost economic growth, limiting expansion of the private sector that would contribute in intensifying service provision in the poor nation.
Marial thinks joining the club will increase opportunities for the country to over come the hard felt socio-economic and political challenges that sprung after the country’s secession.
“For South Sudan to be a member of the least developed countries there are lot of benefits in trade,” he said.
The LDCs are a group of countries that have been identified by the UN as "least developed" in terms of their low gross national income (GNI), their weak human assets and their high degree of economic vulnerability.
Source: Gurtong
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