(JUBA) – South Sudan has ordered the creation of special verification offices at all major border posts to check imported raw materials meant for local factories.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Margaret Labanya Mathya, issued the order on 26 June 2026. The new offices will be run by the Association of South Sudan Manufacturers, a body representing local producers.
Under the order, the border offices will carry out three main tasks. They will check and validate shipping documents such as certificates of origin, commercial invoices and packing lists before goods enter the country. They will confirm that raw material specifications match the industrial licences and quotas issued to member manufacturers. They will also act as a link between customs officials and manufacturers to resolve any problems that could delay the clearance of raw material shipments.
The document checks by the manufacturers’ association will take place alongside the existing checks done by the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards and the Customs Division of the South Sudan Revenue Authority. All verified documents must carry the association’s official security stamp.
The association is required to send weekly clearance and verification reports to the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The order directs all border authorities, security organs and the business community to cooperate with the association’s officers. It took effect on the day it was signed.
The move is based on powers given to the minister under the 2011 Transitional Constitution, the Import and Export Act of 2012 and the National Bureau of Standards Act of 2012.