BANKRUPT REGIME THE BANE OF BUSINESS
(Posted 12th September 2015)
After causing the collapse of Kenya’s Jetlink, when the regime halted the repatriation of over 2.5 million US Dollars in ticket sales to Nairobi, causing the airline to drown in debt, has the regime’s broad failure to create an enabling economic environment now claimed another airline victim.
South Supreme Airlines, registered in South Sudan, has yesterday thrown in the towel, citing lack of US Dollars to pay for fuel, insurance, aircraft maintenance, mandatory pilot training and salaries for expatriate pilots and engineers.
The airline commenced operations in 2013 as was reported here at the time and its decision to halt operations is another damning indictment for the Kiir regime, under which the economy all but collapsed as literally the entire budget was diverted to their war effort against erstwhile opponents of his dictatorial rule, when in December 2013 he invented a coup attempt to cover up a witch hunt against party opponents.
While both regime and opposition have signed a peace deal, ratified the day before yesterday by the South Sudan parliament, are low key engagements reportedly continuing in the absence of IGAD monitoring forces. ‘The regime’s miscalculation, that they can finish off the internal party opposition, has of course miserably failed. They have plunged the country into a situation much worse than when we were still fighting Khartoum and Bashir. All development since our independence has been lost and we are actually broke. Only regime cronies are getting hard currency and that is a recipe for more unrest. Inflation is galloping and the black market rate for the Dollar is going up every day. The situation is unbearable for ordinary people and intolerable for the upper class’ wrote a source when confirming the information, which was received earlier yesterday from a regular contributor.
Meanwhile though is information emerging that Golden Wings Aviation is stepping into the void created by South Supreme throwing in the towel by offering flights from Juba to Bor, Yambio, Malakal, Wau, Yaida, Awiel and Palouch though it is not clear how this company will survive in the absence of dollars to pay for crucial services which require hard currency.
