Central Equatoria minister tables SSP46 billion fiscal budget before parliament

JUBA – South Sudan’s Central Equatoria state minister of finance, Viana Kakuli, presented a budget estimate of SSP 46 billion (or $12,906,735.94) for the fiscal year 2024-2025 to the state Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

The budget is projected to be funded by a combination of national government grants and state-generated revenue.

Approximately 57% of the budget, or SSP 26 billion, will come from national government grants, while the remaining 43%, or SSP 19 billion, will be generated through taxes and other revenue sources.

The minister explained that the deficit of SSP 2.6 billion will be financed through loans and external borrowing.

The largest portion of the budget, 50%, is allocated to wages and salaries. Approximately 27% is earmarked for goods and services, while 21% is allocated for capital expenditure.

The remaining 2% is designated for conditional transfers to counties and service delivery units.

To ensure the effective implementation of the budget, the Ministry of Finance and Planning plans to implement policies aimed at boosting revenue collection, strengthening fiscal discipline, and improving public procurement procedures.

“I am therefore calling upon the Hon August House to deliberate and approve the Central Equatoria State draft budget, appropriation bill and the tax rates & charges schedule for the FY 2024/2025 to enable the state to deliver services to its people,” Kakuli stated.

Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly, Peter Wani Kulang, referred the draft budget to the specialized committee on economic and planning for scrutiny.

The committee is expected to review the budget and present its findings to the assembly within 21 days.