Rigid government institutions given ultimatum to digitize by January 2026

JUBA — South Sudan’s government has given state institutions resisting digital transformation until January 2026 to adopt electronic systems, as authorities push to accelerate digitization in a country still lacking core digital public infrastructure such as national digital identification and interoperable government databases.

In a statement released on Thursday by the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, President Salva Kiir issued a Republic Order granting the E-Service Board full authority to digitise all government institutions across the country.

The order removes long-standing bureaucratic barriers that have slowed the rollout of electronic government systems, particularly in institutions that continue to rely on manual processes, paper records and physical cash transactions.

The announcement was made public by Thomas Gatkuoth Nyak, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services and chair of the E-Service Board, following an internal evaluation of the board’s 2025 performance.

The assessment reviewed progress in implementing electronic government services and was held at the ministry’s headquarters in Juba.

Gatkuoth said the government would no longer tolerate institutional resistance to digitisation, especially among offices that have delayed reforms due to what he described as “ignorance and reluctance to change.”

He said the January 2026 deadline should be treated as a final opportunity for institutions to prepare for the transition through capacity building, system integration and technical alignment with national digital standards.

According to Gatkuoth, the rollout of e-services has already produced measurable economic benefits, with the national economy reportedly improving by up to 40 percent since the reforms began.

Sudans Post could not independently verify this claim as South Sudan continues to face inflation, currency depreciation and fiscal pressure.

While he did not provide a detailed breakdown of the figures, Gatkuoth attributed the reported gains to improved efficiency, reduced corruption, faster service delivery and increased transparency in revenue collection.

The E-Service Board has been leading efforts to digitize core government functions, including payments, licensing, records management and communication between institutions. Officials say these reforms are intended to reduce red tape, limit human discretion in service delivery and align South Sudan with regional and global digital governance practices.

Analysts say the push highlights both ambition and structural weaknesses in South Sudan’s digital transition. While e-services can improve efficiency, the absence of foundational DPI layers — such as a national digital ID system, secure data protection laws and interoperable registries — continues to limit the reach and trustworthiness of digital reforms.

Without those foundations, experts warn, digitization risks producing fragmented platforms vulnerable to misuse, exclusion or political interference rather than open, rights-respecting digital public goods.

The Republic Order is expected to empower the E-Service Board to intervene directly in institutions that delay or obstruct implementation, including by enforcing technical standards, coordinating training programmes and overseeing compliance across ministries, departments and agencies.

Officials say the deadline is intended to signal a shift from voluntary adoption to mandatory implementation, as South Sudan seeks to modernize governance systems amid growing reliance on digital platforms for revenue collection, service delivery and state oversight.