South Sudan forms committee for new capital city construction

South Sudan said Monday that it had formed a high-level committee led by the country's vice president Taban Deng Gai to fast track the construction of the planned capital city Ramciel.

President Salva Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told Xinhua in the capital of Juba that Kiir set up the committee to carry out physical and feasibility studies around Ramciel in the former Lakes State, whose central location is believed to be an ideal site for the new capital.

"Already the committee has been formed that will take up the issue of the new capital, it will work in conjunction with the Moroccan officials," Ateny said.

"So the work is immediate as soon as the President issued the decree," Ateny said.

Morocco and South Sudan agreed to the ambitious construction of Ramciel that will see the government relocate from current capital Juba by 2022 after the visit by Moroccan King Mohammed VI earlier this month.

South Sudan barely has enough infrastructure like roads, hospitals, schools and electricity due to underdevelopment resulting from more than years of civil war and conflicts.

The country is currently mired in economic stagnation with annual inflation peaking over 800 percent, and huge budget- deficit due to conflict reducing oil production that South Sudan depends upon to finance 98 percent of its fiscal budget. Endit