Locals in Awerial County of Lakes state have called on the government to urgently improve road connectivity to facilitate the movement of goods from Juba.
They complained about the spike in food commodities due to the bad road between Awerial and Terekeka.
The residents of Mingakaman say the food prices have continued to rise daily.
Currently, a 50 Kg bag of maize flour that was selling at 20,000 South Sudanese Pounds is sold 40,000 South Sudanese Pounds. 50 KG bag of sugar is SSP 40,000, while 5 litres of oil is sold at SSP 7,000.
Paul Thon Mapiou, the head of the traders union in Awerial town said parts of the Juba-Bahr el Ghazal highway have become impassable during the rainy season.
He told Mingkaman 100 FM that the price of commodities has increased due to the hardship they face in transportiing goods from Juba. He stated that most of the vehicles breakdown or get stuck for days on the road.
Lakes state Minister of Roads and Bridges, Awuol Malual said there are plans to rehabilitate the parts of the roads destroyed by rains and floods.
He stated that work has already began in Terekeke.
“Rhino Construction Company has left today and will be passing through Western Equatoria state…will start from the site of Yirol toward Mingkaman, and GIZ will start from the site of Terekeka by filling the loopholes and their meeting point will be Mingkaman. Hopefully soon, the road will be passable,” Mr. Malual revealed.
In June, the government of Central Equatoria state launched 154-kilometer marram stretch that will connect it to Lakes state and other parts of the country.
The Terekeka-Tindilo-Tali road is being constructed by Point Investment Company, a national construction company, and is expected to be completed within 2 years.