By Maik Kueth
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Atong Kuol Manyang, has mandated all traders to adopt mobile money payments as the new standard, signaling a clear government commitment to a cashless future.
This directive came after a high-level discussion involving the Bank of South Sudan’s top officials, including Director of Communication Majok Nikodemo Arou and Director of the National Payment System Akum David Sabahker.
The government’s push aims to accelerate the transition to digital transactions and reduce the country’s heavy dependence on cash.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Atong said digital payments are no longer optional but official government policy despite some resistance from traders still preferring cash payments.
“We want to make one thing very clear: digital payment is now a government policy,” she said, emphasizing that citizens must be empowered to use mobile money for everyday transactions.
Mobile money giants MTN’s MoMo and Digitel’s Digicash swiftly responded with promises to broaden their networks and services nationwide.
Chan Awuol, Executive Vice President of Digitel Holdings, hailed the Bank of South Sudan’s leadership and highlighted the importance of raising public awareness about digital banking benefits.
Meanwhile, Harrison Daka, Senior Manager at MTN MoMo, expressed confidence that expanding mobile money will ease liquidity challenges while encouraging greater adoption by traders and consumers alike.
This partnership between the government and telecom providers marks a major step toward building a more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable digital economy in South Sudan.
The trade and industry minister further urged traders to embrace collaboration, highlighting the broad economic advantages of this transformative shift.