South Sudan’s economic situation is worsening, particularly at the individual level, as resources disappear from government coffers and end up in the pockets of a few people. Nothing no longer drips down to the ordinary citizens.
However, in the capital, Juba, private companies ranging from security and ICT to employment are mushrooming. While some of them are legitimate, others are only a means of embezzling public monies.
One such company parachuted into Juba about two years ago. Bridge Employment Solutions (BES) is the name of this staffing agency.
When it entered the market, it was known as AWT Enterprise Ltd., with the abbreviation standing for Agok Wel Takpiny.
But it promptly rebranded itself to, I believe, be accommodative of all shareholders who must be incognito due to the obvious reasons.
An employment agency is a developed world affair. It is a company that helps people find jobs. Think about places like Norway, Hong Kong, and Denmark.
Some staffing agencies are private. They make money by charging companies a fee for placing new employees. For direct hires, they charge a percentage of the starting salary, and for temporary workers, they charge a markup on the hourly rate.
Others are publicly funded, meaning they get financial support, in part or in full, with revenue generated by a government institution.
An Australian citizen, Agok Wel is Adok’s cousin.
Some correspondence in my possession shows that Adok invited his maternal cousin over to Juba to establish the conduit.
“With a strong focus on bridging the gap between job seekers and employers, BES has been providing exceptional employment solutions since its inception in 2022,” says the firm on its website. In 2023, the $1,000,000-motivated BES took over Juba like a storm, with its activities hyped up by the national broadcaster, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).
It ‘staffed’ a few public offices that had suddenly suffered alleged employee incompetence, alcoholism, absenteeism, nepotism, tribalism, and nose picking, notably the National Communications Authority (NCA) run by Adok.
And arguably 99% of those interviewed for various positions at NCA were not awarded jobs because the entire initiative was designed to deceive the public, and Adok had already chosen his personnel.
As you read this, Agok Wel is a new homeowner in a leafy neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya, having bought a mansion last year.
It appears that BES mostly operates as a publicly funded employment company. How did it get the ‘konturak’? Was it through bidding? Was the process transparent?
How could a ‘baby’ company win a government contract? How excellent is the BES company profile? Was it ‘born’ with 70-year experience in the sector? Isn’t it Adokorruption?
Tearz Ayuen © October 3, 2024
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