The Central Bank of South Sudan has maintained that it has no plans to introduce new, higher-denomination banknotes or change the currency.
Recently, a picture of new banknotes purporting they would be launched by the Central Bank of South Sudan was shared on social media.
Speaking at a press conference in Juba on Friday, Dr James Alic Garang, Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, clarified that there was no immediate plan to roll out new banknotes in the country.
“The question regarding the new currency is that the Central Bank has not issued such notices. So, I want to make it clear today that we have not sent, discussed, or initiated any changes to the currency, so what you see there is fake news. Kindly take it as fake news,” Alic said.
On October 9, 2020, the South Sudan government said it would be changing its currency to shore up its economy following the continued pound depreciation against the U.S. dollar.
The decision came after the cabinet realized that most of the population was still hoarding the South Sudanese Pound (SSP) in their homes instead of banks.
Also, on September 8, 2023, former Central Bank Governor Johnny Ohisa proposed changing the South Sudanese currency to facilitate the government’s access to money stashed in houses.
Governor Ohisa made the recommendation in response to queries from National Economic Conference participants regarding the need for a culture of saving among most South Sudanese citizens.
South Sudan is the major oil producer in the East African region, but its near-total dependency on oil has made the resource a curse.
A 2018 peace agreement brought relative stability to the country, but the inflation rate has remained very high. South Sudan’s economic crisis has been driven by the rapidly depreciating value of the South Sudanese Pound (SSP), shortages of hard currency, and significant dependence on imports.