Civil society leader urges faster budget approval process

JUBA – South Sudan’s Centre for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) is urging the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) to expedite the approval process for the 2024/25 fiscal year budget.

Ter Manyang Gatwech, Executive Director of the CPA, said in a statement on Wednesday that the government has a history of missing the May or June deadline for passing the annual budget, a timeframe followed by countries in the East African region.

“The CPA implores the TNLA, as the legislative and oversight body, to address this violation of both national and East African Community (EAC) obligations as soon as possible,” Gatwech said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.

He pointed out South Sudan’s obligation as an EAC member to present its national budget alongside the six other partner states, which have already done so.

Gatwech urged parliamentarians to summon Martin Elia Lomuro, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, to explain the delay in tabling the budget proposal before the cabinet.

The statement emphasized that the fiscal year budget should be presented to parliament by the first week of May 2024 and operationalized by July 1, 2024.