South Sudan to appeal Vivacell licence suspension case

South Sudan’s Council of Ministers has approved the allocation of USD4.48 million to appeal a court case brought against the government by former mobile operator Vivacell, reports Eye Radio. Vivacell’s operating licence was suspended by the government in March 2018, after the cellco failed to pay the required taxes and licence fees. The government claims that Vivacell failed to obtain a new operating licence after South Sudan gained independence, and instead continued to operate under the licence awarded by Sudan which gave it an exemption from paying taxes and fees. Parent company Al Fattouch Group countered that its operating licence waived all taxes and took the government of South Sudan to the International Court of Arbitration, demanding USD3 billion in restitution. According to reports, it was awarded USD1 billion by the court, although the government is seeking to appeal this judgement and is looking to hire national and international law firms.