Interbank Platform Debuts in Juba
Juba’s banking halls echoed with cautious optimism as South Sudan rolled out its first Interbank Payment and Settlement System on Thursday, a platform designed to move cash and securities in real time and curb unchecked capital flight.
Minister Condemns Biased Lending Policies
Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr Martin Elia Lomuro used the inauguration to accuse certain commercial banks of sidelining local clients while extending generous credit to foreign-owned hotels and office towers, a practice he labeled both unjust and economically self-defeating (Eye Radio, Oct 2025).
“This must end; we are a free country,” he warned, noting that some bank chiefs are flanked by security escorts, a symbol, he argued, of skewed power dynamics that undercut public confidence in the sector.
Enforcement of Banking Laws Questioned
He attributed the persistence of discriminatory lending to weak enforcement of existing financial statutes, stressing that laws should apply even “if it’s your mother or father” to guarantee transparency and growth.
Domestic Business Prospects Brighten
With the real-time clearing hub now active, young graduates hope for mortgages rather than misappropriation, and small traders anticipate access to capital that once felt beyond reach, marking a tentative step toward broader economic inclusion.