By Tapeng Michael Ohure
The Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly of South Sudan has finally approved and passed the 2021-2022 fiscal year budget, nine months after the scheduled day.
South Sudan which is part of the East African Community is mandated to pass out its budget on the same day with the other countries in the bloc.
The other countries in the region completed their budget approval in mid-June 2021.
South Sudan’s 338 billion SSP budget therefore has a lifespan of only three months.
“We have not been following our calendar very strictly,” the Speaker of Parliament, Jemma Nunu Kumba said after the budget was passed.
“So, this time we expect the Ministry of Finance to submit the budget for 2022/2023 on time,” she said, adding, “as we are working on reforming our institutions in our country, let’s try our best to follow the calendar.”
South Sudan’s Ministry of Finance and Planning said the budget will be used to pay arrears for foreign missions and civil servants.
and university arrears.
“I appreciate and I thank the honourable members in the National Legislative Assembly or the two August houses for working very tirelessly though the budget was brought very late,” Finance Minister Agak Achuil Lual said.
