JUBA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Aid agencies operating in South Sudan have stepped up dialogue with the government on aid workers' registration and work permit fees, the senior UN relief official for South Sudan said on Friday.
Alain Noudehou, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, said relief agencies met with the government on Thursday to assess the impact of the hiked work permit fee on the delivery of aid in the East African country.
Noudehou said during the meeting, agencies discussed concerns about the fee hike and the impact it will have on their ability to deliver much-needed aid to vulnerable people in the country.
"The Humanitarian Coordinator continues to engage with humanitarian actors and the government to ensure unhindered delivery of assistance by eliminating bureaucratic impediments and securing unimpeded access," Noudehou said.
He clarified that though the newly increased fees do not apply to UN agencies and staff, non-governmental organizations are required to pay fees for registration and work permits in order to operate in South Sudan.
In March, South Sudan increased work permit fees for foreign workers from 100 U.S. dollars to 10,000 dollars for professional/business class, 2,000 dollars for blue collar jobs and 1,000 dollars for casual laborers.
The South Sudanese finance ministry said at the time that the hiked fee would raise vital revenue for the cash-strapped government to fund its activities.
But the fee hike prompted an outcry from humanitarian agencies who described it as a way of restricting work of foreign aid workers in the war-torn nation, forcing the government to suspend the policy the following month.
The Ministry of Labor and Public Service in October announced revised annual work permit rates for foreigners ranging from 500 to 4,000 dollars.
Under the new fee structure, consultants and managers will pay 4,000 dollars, professionals 3,000 dollars and technicians 2,000 dollars. The directive does not affect members of the diplomatic corps.
Skilled workers will pay 1,000 dollars and casual laborers will be charged 500 dollars. Defaulters will be charged an extra 200 dollars in fines.
South Sudan's relief agency said early this month that it identified more than 1,000 illegal expatriates working with humanitarian organizations in the country, and gave them a one-month ultimatum to acquire work permits or face the law.
