The Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) on Thursday finally approved and passed SSP 338,043,747,701 as the budget for the 2021/2022 fiscal year.

According to the government, much of the passed budget has already been spent through presidential orders and the budget has a lifespan of only two months before the finance ministry has to table the 2022/2023 budget in June.

In her statement during the passing of the 2021/2022 budget on Thursday, the speaker of the national parliament, Jemma Nunu Kumba, urged the minister of finance and planning to table future budgets on time.

"We have not been following our calendar very strictly. So, this time we expect the ministry of finance to submit the budget of 2022/2023 on time,” Speaker Kumba said. “As we are working on reforming the institutions in our country, let us try our best to follow the calendar. So, we expect that by May, the budget is tabled so that by the end of June we will pass the new budget."

The finance ministry said the approved budget will be used to pay arrears for foreign missions, civil servants, and universities.

"It was passed by the cabinet that a certain amount should be given to the ministry of foreign affairs such that they clear the salaries of foreign missions. I found this but now it is on my desk and we are working on it,” Finance Minister Agak Achuil Lual explained. “As soon as we get the money, we will clear all the arrears. Remember the arrears for foreign missions was 27 months and when I came in I paid them for three months and it came to 24 months.”

He added: “We are working very hard to make sure all the unpaid months for foreign missions are cleared, including the organized forces, civil servants, and the universities.”

Minister Achuil appreciated and thanked the members in the RTNLA for working tirelessly and passing the budget.

For his part, John Agany, the chairperson of the Information and Communication committee in the RTNLA  said the National Budget together with the Appropriation and Financial Bills have been finally been passed into action.

“The finance and planning committee is hereby asked to appropriate all corporate statements made by the national members of parliament and should put them within one week into a final document which will be sent to the president to be signed into law,” Agany said. “From today onwards, our government will be operating using the approved budget though the lifespan of this budget is very short.”

Of the approved budget, about SSP 174,545,280,000 is surplus and the committee recommends it be allocated to spending agencies as follows: Ministry of Public Service and Human Resource Development SSP 10,000,000, Agriculture Bank of South Sudan SSP 5,000,000,000, Constituency Development Fund SSP 8,611,080,483, Ministry of Peace Building SSP 179,454,525, and Urban Water Corporation SSP 233, 956, 6177.

Additionally, the R-TNLA will receive SSP 34,680,211,008, Council of States SSP 4,203,156,357, Parliamentary Service Commission SSP 9,921,650, and Finance Ministry to clear Cooperative Bank balance SSP 544,239,368, Higher Education renovations and domestic travel SSP 966,000,000 and Ministry of Trade & Industry SSP 60,000,000.

The minister of finance says much of the budget has already been used and that only one quarter remains. South Sudan's financial year ends annually in June.