No South Sudan road funds for lack of rules - World Bank

The World Bank says South Sudan cannot receive infrastructure funding from international investors due to lack of financial policies and transport sector regulations.

The bank has placed conditions to be met before the country begins receiving funding for roads infrastructure development.

A new study by an East African body, the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Co-ordination Authority (NCTTCA), has found that South Sudan’s roads are “the worst” in the region.

The roads became worse following recent torrential rains that made them impassable because of flash flooding and mud.

A delegation from the World Bank is in the capital, Juba, to discuss the possibility of supporting the country's road network connectivity.

They said for the bank to support South Sudan’s transport sector, the government needs to put in place clear institutional regulations and financial policies.

“It is about the diagnostics and framework not being in place and this is the stage that we are at, in our engagement with the government of South Sudan. It doesn’t make sense to start investing when you don’t have the rules in place.

"These are the things that South Sudan needs to tackle,” Bernard Aritua, a World Bank official told reporters in Juba.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: South Sudanese journalist