The National Minister of Petroleum Puot Kang Chol on Thursday revealed that refined oil products meant for export remain stuck at the Tharjath oil refinery due to roads being cut off by floods.
Kang was speaking during the launch of Juba Economic Forum at Pyramid Hotel on Thursday in Juba.
“We had to shut it off because the tanks are full but we have no road to evacuate your (oil) product, the facilitators of economic growth which is infrastructure is very important,” he said.
“In our region, we are the biggest producer of oil but again when we put up oil refinery in Unity State we do not have accessibility, we produce but we have no road to evacuate the products,” added Kang.
Kang said South Sudan needs to diversify it’s economy to develop sectors like agriculture which are productive.
He said that oil in the long- term will be sold at a much cheaper price due to decrease in global demand.
Meanwhile, Kang said that fuel imported in South Sudan contains sulfur which is harmful to the environment, adding that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has advised on the dangers of fuel containing sulfur.
“I received a letter yesterday from the UNEP, they are telling me that we must bring sulfur free fuel, most of the fuel that comes to South Sudan is not directly imported from their origin, we get it from Kenya or Sudan,” Kang said.
