The Central Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly on Monday passed SSP 16.06 Billion as the state’s 2022/2023 fiscal year budget.
The budget will be financed by state-generated revenues to the tune of SSP 10.99 Billion (68.4 percent) while general block grant transfers from the national ministry of finance will constitute SSP 5.07 Billion (31,06 percent).
Addressing a press conference in Juba on Tuesday, the Central Equatoria State information minister, Adruga Mabe Saverio, said the budget will provide basic essential services to the people and encourage the return of refugees home.
“We are almost approaching a time that we term our budget a citizen’s budget. Compared to the previous budgets, Central Equatoria is making a budget to address the concerns of the local citizens and what they need,” he said. “Service to the people, roads, water, sanitation, and others have been addressed and those figures, if they go to address those issues affecting the people, it will encourage the return of our people from the diaspora back to their homeland.”
Meanwhile, Jacob Ladu Paul, the chairperson of the economic, finance, and investment committee in the state assembly said this year has seen a great improvement in revenue collection to finance the budget “SSP 10.99 Billion comes from the state as compared to last year when it was only SSP 2.6 Billion. We are improving our working relationship with the executive and it makes us improve the revenue collection of the state,” he said. “Imagine from SSP 2.6 Billion to over 10 billion. That itself explains that the organs of the government in the state are working collectively to serve the citizens that are suffering right now because of high prices.”
“We are aiming that the budget of 2023/2024 we will be independent and we will be collecting our resources within the state so we will not be relying on the national grant,” Ladu added.
Compared to last year`s fiscal year`s budget, the 2022/2023 fiscal budget for the Central Equatoria has increased from SSP 7.5 Billion to 16.06 Billion, an increase of 115.3 percent.
SSP 5.2 Billion was allocated to cater for wages and salaries, SSP 3.77 Billion for goods and services, 3.82 Billion for transfers to counties, and SSP 3.75 Billion for capital expenditure.