CEPO report: 90% of recommendations from fifth governors’ forum not implemented  

JUBA – South Sudan’s civil society watchdog, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has released a report detailing the outcome of its year-long oversight of the states and administrative areas in their implementation of the outcome of the 5^th Governors’ Forum resolutions.

The 5^th governors’ forum was held from 22 to 26 November 2021 with the aim to “discuss how the 10 states and three administrative areas are contributing to the implementation of Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan.”

Some of the resolutions of the forum were that it reaffirmed commitment of the states to the implementation of the R-ARCSS, end child and women adduction, wherever it occurs and for state governments to collect personal income tax of states employees.

But in the report released by CEPO yesterday, the parties have not implemented any of the resolution except for a few number of them such as the collection of personal income tax, which the civil society watchdog also said has not been implemented in a transparent manner as provided for in the law.

“Majority of the states collect the PIT from state employees and Non-Governmental Organization but no proper transparency demonstrated on collection and usage of the collected PIT,” the report extended to Sudans Post reads in part.

“There is need for the leadership of the council of states through the finance and economic committee to take proactive role on holding states leaders accountable on the collection and usage of the PIT,” the report stressed.

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It further said that political disagreements in Western Equatoria and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states have continued to affect the operation of the state governments there which he said is a violation of the pledge by the state governments to recommit to the implementation of the revitalized agreement.

“In states namely Western Equatoria and Northern Bahr Ghazal political frictions between SPLM-IO and SPLM is higher and that violates this recommendation. Majority of the State Legislative structures are in tension with their respective executive organs over exercise of powers,” the report said.

“The presidency should ensure in this 6th Governors forum the political leaders are directed to observed the spirit of the R-ARCSS coalition government. There is need to instruct the both legislative and executive organs of the state governments to cooperate,” it added.