Gov’t postpones deliberations on fiscal budget over lack of clarity

JUBA – South Sudan’s council of ministers in its regular meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Friday adjourned deliberations on the country’s fiscal budget for 2021-2022 over lack of clarity, according to a senior government official

The budget was presented to the council of ministers by the minister of finance and economic planning Kuol Athian Mawin.

Speaking to reporters following the cabinet meeting, deputy minister of information Baba Medan Konyi said the cabinet failed to pass the budget because the cabinet sees that it does not address various economic concerns that should have been tackled in the budget.

“We need enough time to discuss only the budge. In today’s sitting we managed to discuss some concerns but we thought of adjourning the meeting to coming Wednesday,” Medan told reporters in Juba.

“The council of ministers discusses and deliberates on a memo in resource envelope. Last year budget was 205 billion South Sudanese Pounds and in this year budget of 2021-2022, the new proposed budget is 551 billion South Sudanese Pounds,” Konyi said.

He disclosed that the council of ministers wants to go to the detail of the budget to see in it the budget benefit citizens.

“It is not just about passing the budget, it is to go to the detail and see the interest of the citizens,” he stated.

“After deliberation, the council recommends for further sitting so that we can go into detail and address the concern because this is a national budget and we have to focus on the concern,” he added.