South Sudan VP says country must pass fiscal budget alongside EAC peer nations

JUBA – South Sudan’s vice-president for economic cluster James Wani Igga has said that the world’s youngest country must pass its national budget on time, alongside its East African Community (EAC) peers.

Speaking at the fourth high-level forum summit on fiscal devolution and revenue management, Wani expressed frustration over South Sudan’s delayed budget, which was passed on Monday, months after neighboring EAC nations had finalized their own budgets.

“Congratulations to parliament for passing our budget yesterday [Monday]. Congratulations to the Rt Deputy Speaker of the Council of States and all members of parliament,” Wani said. “I think that was great. But next time, let us not be behind schedule. The East African Community is now very disappointed with us.”

South Sudan’s transitional constitution mandates that the national budget be passed at least two months before the end of the fiscal year, typically by June 30. However, the country has frequently missed this deadline.

In contrast, other EAC countries, including Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, usually pass their national budgets in June, allowing them to begin their new financial year on July 1. South Sudan’s 2024/25 budget, approved in October, was six months late.

Wani urged the cabinet and parliament to prioritize timely budget preparation in future years.

“Let us start earlier and move with greater speed. It is not good to always lag behind. Our East African peers will continue to question why South Sudan’s budget is so often delayed,” Wani stressed.

He also highlighted the ongoing issue of delayed salary payments for civil servants. Many public employees have gone without pay for several months due to late transfers from income-generating entities.

“All the income-generating units must not wait until the 30th to send their proceeds to the Ministry of Finance,” Wani said. “By the 30th, people should be paid. The money should reach Finance by the 20th so they can process it and make payments on time – not three or six months later.”

South Sudan’s parliament passed a SSP 4.2 trillion budget for fiscal year 2024/25 on Monday. This came months after Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania passed their budgets for the same fiscal year in June 2024, as required by EAC procedures.

Since the outbreak of war in 2013, South Sudan has struggled to meet its constitutional obligation to pass the national budget on time.

The conflict has led to significant economic disruption, with funds often diverted to the war effort.

As a result, civil servants have been left without pay for extended periods, exacerbating the country’s financial challenges.