DISCUSSION: South Sudan faces expulsion from EAC over $27mln arrears
Episode 1310, Jul 07, 2020, 06:37 PM
South Sudan faces expulsion from the East African Community (EAC) for defaulting on annual remittances.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) passed a resolution last week for the removal of South Sudan and Burundi from membership due to failure to remit their annual contributions.
By June 10th South Sudan owed the regional bloc $27.8mln and Burundi owed $15mln.
The East African States are required to pay $8mln to the bloc every year.
The fate of the countries’ membership now lies in the hands of the EAC Council of Ministers who may recommend the expulsion.
South Sudan was also suspended from the African Union for failure to remit their contribution amounting to $9mln.
Other EAC states that have arrears include Uganda ($1.6 million), Rwanda ($2.7 million) and Tanzania ($4.2 million). Kenya is the only country out of the six members that has fully paid its annual contributions.
A lawmaker representing South Sudan at the East Legislative Assembly, Wuda Jeremiah Odok spoke to Radio Miraya about the implications of this to country.