A financial crisis is brewing within the Jonglei State government as the state has been navigating treacherous waters with no approved budget to steer its course.
The revelation came to light following the tenure of Governor Denay Jock Chagor, leaving citizens and officials in a state of unease as essential services and development projects shake on the edge of collapse.
The Jonglei State Legislative Assembly stands in the dark as the state finance minister has yet to present a draft budget for legislative approval.
The state parliament’s spokesperson, Chuol Lim Ban Ban, revealed that the finance minister has never presented a draft budget to the House for approval by the lawmakers.
“Any government needs to have its budget to know the activities it wants to achieve. You cannot make any achievements without having a budget. The state executive is supposed to sit and make a budget which they will then send to the assembly-that is the ordinary work that we know,” he said. “Even in the national government, the minister of finance presents the whole budget of the country to the executive which then sends it to the National Legislative Assembly. It is also the same in the states.”
The Jonglei State government has operated without a budget for years. Tuong Majok Deng, a legislator, voiced the collective frustration, labeling the financial oversight a “shame” and said the precarious situation could breed corruption within the state’s administration.
“From 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and up to this time there was no discussion about the budget. He said that people are getting financial transfers from the national government that are consumed without identifying priorities,” he said. “It is important in any system and if you want to even build your own house, you have to have to make a budget so that you mobilize resources to complete the project.”
Tuong added: “We are crippled because of lack of a budget and even parliament does not know how much is allocated to the assembly and the executive knows that no budget has been passed for all these years.”
As the Jonglei State government operates on the brink, the question looms: How long can it sustain without a financial blueprint? Lawmaker Christine Akol said the absence of a budget is not merely an administrative oversight but a ticking time bomb that threatens to undermine the state’s governance and the trust of its people.
“No budget has ever been discussed and I do not know why,” she stated. “It is very important to have a budget in running the government so that it guides the ministries on what to do, where, and when.”
A state lawmaker, Laila Matien, said the failure of Finance Minister Abraham Riek Yuek to properly manage the state’s financial affairs, including drafting the budget, led to his impeachment by the assembly in August 2022. He added that Governor Chagor refused to relieve Minister Yuek despite the vote of no competence which she said has further exacerbated the budgetary woes.
“When we did it and gave it to the governor, he rejected it and all the members of parliament started having a very low opinion,” he said. “We made a lot of moves and there was no answer. That is why we complained to the president to make changes in the top leadership of Jonglei State because it is dying.”
Abraham Riek Yuek, the Jonglei State finance minister declined to comment.
However, Jacob Akech Dengdit, the Jonglei State deputy governor and who is also the interim chairperson of the SPLM, expressed concern over the situation. He revealed that Governor Chagor has absolute control over the state’s finances, effectively sidelining the assembly’s oversight role. Dengdit said there is a need for transparency and accountability.
“We never had any budget for this state for three fiscal years. I have no clue about the financial handling of Jonglei State.” Dengdit said. “The files of finance of Jonglei State need attention from the legislative assembly here, the national assembly, and the Council of States. This thing should not be taken lightly because it is a big problem.”
As the state grapples with this financial crisis, Dengdit said basic services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure development are at risk due to the lack of a functional budget.
For his part, Governor Denay Jock Chagor declined to address the allegations directly but insisted that his government has priorities that include security.
“All of our resources come from the central government and when it comes it has allocations. We are running the entire Government of South Sudan on chapters and the security fund is there; the development fund is there because of the economic crisis the country is going through because we are getting out of war,” he explained. “For somebody to say that we do not have priorities what is it that he said was not prioritized? We are making sure that our people are secure and we are doing it with no regret. From all the counties of Jonglei State, we are rounding up criminals and bringing them to our state prison.”
Bol Deng Bol, the executive director of the civil society outfit, INTREPID South Sudan, expressed his worry over the financial management of the state and said the absence of a formal budget raises questions about transparency and accountability.
“It is clear that the government is spending and it is spending outside the budget. There is no budget. That means a lot of things can come in between,” he stated. “There can be a very huge door for corruption. Taxes are being collected and money is coming to the state but how is it being spent? This is a problem?”
The revelation about the lack of budget has sparked a debate among the citizens and officials of Jonglei State, with many calling for immediate action to address the oversight.