JUBA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Wednesday called for stronger regional efforts to combat illegal smuggling of gold and other minerals across its borders.

Minister of Mining Martin Gama Abucha said the country faces significant challenges in tackling illicit trade in gold, which is often smuggled out of the country to avoid taxes.

"South Sudan is capable of producing over 30 tonnes of gold annually from informal sources, much of which is leaving the country without benefiting our people," Abucha said during the three-day gathering of the member countries of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

The meeting focused on mineral value addition and cross-border trade in the region.

Abucha emphasized the importance of regional cooperation to formalize the mining sector and ensure that mineral wealth benefits local populations.

He also affirmed South Sudan's commitment to establishing a strong regulatory framework to support its nascent mineral industry, adding that partnerships with the private sector to build refineries would help add value to the country's gold.

"We strongly support the theme of this forum, because a coordinated regional approach is essential to making meaningful progress, and without this collaboration, individual countries cannot achieve the desired impact," Abucha said.

Abucha also revealed plans to create a national mineral trading company, the first of its kind in the country to regulate and formalize mineral trading, improve traceability, and ensure certification of minerals.

Head of Delegation of the European Union in South Sudan Timo Olkkonen called for enhanced cooperation and cross-border trade to develop integrated mineral-based value chains in the region.

Olkkonen noted that addressing illegal artisanal mining and aligning policies at the regional level would help create more efficient and competitive mineral supply chains, thus stimulating economic growth and value addition.

ICGLR is an inter-governmental organization of 12 member states including Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, the Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Enditem

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