The South Sudan Council of Ministers on Friday referred the draft 2024/25 Fiscal Year Budget back to the Finance Ministry to incorporate some of the government’s priorities.
Addressing reporters shortly after the Cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir in Juba, Jacob Maiju Korok, the Deputy Minister for Information, said the draft budget of over 2.4 trillion South Sudanese Pounds prioritized mainly agriculture.
Finance and Planning Minister Awow Daniel Chuong presented the 2024/25 budget under the theme; “Accelerate economic recovery through sustained reforms by prioritizing agriculture as an engine of growth”.
“The main pillars of the budget are to support farmers through reasonable credit to be provided by the Agriculture Bank of South Sudan,” Korok said.
The minister also emphasized investment in related projects in education, health and mining, to diversify sources of public financing and the fast-tracking of the reforms in the public procurement and asset value added tax and property tax.
He also called for austerity measures for the government to operate at its optimum level.
“There has to be tremendous cut in expenditure. The government will only pay wages and salaries and maintain minimal expenditure. Other expenditures will be suspended until the situation stabilizes,” Korok said.
All member states of the East African Community (EAC) were supposed to present their budgets on the same day. However, weeks after all other member states tabled theirs on June 13th, South Sudan has delayed its annual budget as it grapples with an intense economic crisis.
Sports attires
The Cabinet has approved the uniform for the South Sudanese sports teams and fans.
They were presented with three colors; blue, green and white, and the unanimous decision of the Council of Ministers was the blue and white attire, said Youth and Sports minister Joseph Geng Akec.
Akec said fans could wear the national colors during international and national games to show the South Sudan national identity, values and culture.
The selected uniform will be used at the next Olympic Games in France.