Kiir sacks central bank governor, deputies and revenue authority boss

JUBA, OCTOBER 2, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Monday night issued several decrees sacking the country’s most senior economic officials, including the governor of the central bank and the head of the National Revenue Authority.

In a major shakeup of the government’s economic leadership, Kiir sacked Johny Ohisa Damain as central bank governor and replaced him with James Alic Garang.

Ohisa was elevated to the position of governor from first deputy governor last year after having been the acting governor following the removal of the central bank governor Moses Makur Deng at the time.

In a separate decree, Kiir also dismissed Addis Ababa Othow as first deputy governor of the central bank and replaced him with Samuel Yanga Mikaya.

The president also dismissed John Machiek Achuoth as second deputy governor of the central bank and replaced him with Nyiel Gordon Kuol.

He further sacked Athian Diing Athian as commissioner-general of the National Revenue Authority and replaced him with his deputy Africano Monday. Athian was appointed to the position in June this year to replace Tanzanian citizen Patrick Mugoya.

He then appointed Albino Dak Kur as the new deputy commissioner-general of the National Revenue Authority after elevating his predecessor Africano Monday.

In other economic changes, Kiir sacked Mary Akech Taban as undersecretary of the ministry of trade and industry.

He also sacked the first undersecretary of the ministry of finance and planning Kuol Daniel Ayul and transferred him to the ministry of trade and industry before naming him as the new first undersecretary of the ministry.

Kiir also relieved Unity State finance minister Malual Tap Diew and appointed him as the new first undersecretary of the ministry of finance and planning.

The reasons for the shakeup were not immediately clear, but it comes amid an economic crisis in South Sudan, which is struggling to recover from a civil war that ended in 2018.

The country is also facing high inflation and a shortage of foreign currency.

The shakeup of the government’s economic leadership has raised concerns about the stability of the government and its commitment to economic reforms.