Opinion | Why Hon. Agak Achuil set a bad precedent in financial sector: The case of the ministry of finance and planning

By Majok T. Deng

OPINION – This is because any ethical finance minister who will see overdraft as a bad policy strategy will always be view as a bad minister to some economically illiterate section of the population.

The matter of fact, is that shortly after their appointment into the national ministry of finance and planning and bank of South Sudan in 2021 and early 2022 respectively, Hon. Agak Achuil and Hon. Moses Makur decided to rent-sake central bank purposely to clear salaries arrears and paid huge amount of money to some unscrupulous dealers around the ministry. That action led to domestic currency depreciation by 25.6%.

The SSP then continued to weakens against USD day in day out until their simultaneously dismissal in August 2022.

Inflation rate soared as prices consistently increased on daily bias.

Faced with a lot of difficulties and hardship, the people of South Sudan cried out loud for help.

Fortunately, our beloved President Dr. Kiir Mayardit acted upon with urgency and fired unscrupulous and unethical leaders in person of Hon. Agak Achuil and Moses Makur. The news of their dismissal was widely celebrated across the country except some few dealers whose bank cheques haven’t been cashed.

It’s not surprising that Dier Tong is being attacked from all angles:  back, front, right and left by the following groups;

1. DEALERS

Shortly after taking oath of office, Dr. Dier Tong stop payment of fake claims on national budget. He decided to return all the cheques which were issued by Hon. Agak Achuil to the ministry of finance and planning.  This group is not happy with him.

2. SALARY EARNERS

Salaries earners who were paid using borrowed money from central bank feel sad that borrowing from central bank has been put hold by economists with full support of his excellence the president of the Republic.

This is group of economically illiterate people who think of central bank as being printing centre for currency.

3. AGAK ACHUIL FOOT SOLDIERS.

This is group hired by former Minister in order to tarnish the image of our national ministry and that of incumbent minister.  I urge our people to discredit whatever that come from this group for they don’t have credibility to informed us of what may be going on in the national ministry of finance and planning.

What these groups do not appreciate is the tremendous effort put in by the new team at finance and central bank.

The new group led by Hon. Johnny Ohisa, Dr. Dier Tong, Dr. Addis Ababa Othow and Hon. John Machiek have quickly stabilized the domestic currency as the SSP strengthen against USD day in day out. This has never happened since December 2021. In other words, SSP has never strengthen not even for a single day against USD.

And instead of being appreciative of their little success, majority of our population have succumbed to concocted lie from Hon. Agak Achuil Boys about alleged disappearance of around 35 million.

If it’s proven true later that he (Dr. Dier Tong) didn’t embezzle any coin from national treasury, I will advise him to sue those who are busy tarnishing his image and that of the ministry for no reason. His legal team or that of ministry must take the issue of defamation of incumbent constitutional potholders so serious and so they must work hard to punish propagandists.

CONCLUSION

Hon. Agak Achuil will never get close to the national ministry of finance and planning come rain come shine. He has lost credibility and ethnic to be entrust again with economic policies not even for one day. The fact of the matter is that Majok T. Deng has 99.9 % of being hire as the national minister of finance and planning after Dr. Dier Tong Ngor compare to Mr. Agak Achuil.  You can take it to the nearest bank.

The author is a concerned citizen of South Sudan and can be reached via: Majokthon2014@gmail.com.

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