The cabinet of Central Equatoria State on Thursday passed the state budget for the year 2015/2016. This move comes in spite of a proposal by President Salva Kiir to divide the state into three parts: Jubek State, Terekeka State and Yei River State.

Information Minister Adil Emmanuel said the state council of ministers in their ordinary council sitting chaired by the Caretaker Governor Juma Ali Malou passed a budget estimated at 482.6 million South Sudanese pounds.

“The council after thorough deliberation passed this budget with some proposed amendments and directed the clusters – that is, the economic cluster and the service clusters – to make some recommendations and finally to be taken to the state legislative assembly,” he said.

Adil said that 56 percent of the budget will cater for salaries, 13 percent for operational cost while 11 will be for expenditure.

He explained that the money for these expenses will come from different sources. “The sources of revenue for this resource envelope is going to come from the block grants of the state [from the national oil revenue], the county block grants, the sales adjustment tax, the county development grants and the state-owned revenues.”

The minister noted, however, that a decline in trade and business has resulted in drastic falls in tax revenues.

“The state has prioritized in this budget of 2015/2016 in areas of payment of salaries of the employees of the state, keeping the day to day running of the government, and then meet the cost of development programs,” he said, mentioning education, roads, agriculture, food and health.

Adil pointed out that this budget is long overdue and he said that one of the reasons for this was the change of leadership of the state. “One of the factors is the issue of the changes that occurred to that previous government led by the former governor... and then this is a new government led by His Excellency Juma Ali.”  

He said the financial cluster is directed to finalize the budget then to be forwarded to the state parliament for approval.

File photo: Governor Juma Ali