JUBA - 17 Apr 2015

Officials unclear about source of funds for Kiir's 1000 tractors

The South Sudanese presidency and defence ministry have provided contradictory information about the source of funding for 1000 tractors 'donated' by President Salva Kiir to the Agriculture Ministry.

In an interview this morning with Radio Tamazuj, Presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek Ateny confirmed that President Salva Kiir 'donated' 1000 tractors for boosting agriculture production in the country, but he was unclear about the source of the funding.

He also denied that the national army (SPLA) provided the funds for the procurement as reportedly said by Minister of Defence Kuol Manyang in public remarks yesterday.

Asked about the involvement of SPLA in the 'donation', Ateny said the donation comes directly from President Kiir’s office. “The president is the one who did this. He made the donation to South Sudan. That is the president – the president's office.”

He acknowledged that the SPLA was involved, however, without providing specifics about the procurement process and contracts, only noting that the SPLA provided a space for the donated tractors: “The economic department of the SPLA army was involved because they also cultivate, and they will be given some tractors.”

Yesterday's publicity event about the tractors was held at SPLA Bilpam headquarters.

Ateny's remarks contradict statements by Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Kuol Manyang Juk who said that the SPLA military pension fund was used for acquiring the 1000 tractors. Kuol explained, “the Ministry of Finance will refund this money to the pension fund of SPLA.”

Army spokesman Philip Aguer declined to comment on matters related to the SPLA pension fund saying it was not a competency of the army itself to manage the pension fund.

But he acknowledged the army had some involvement in the tractors deal: “We don’t purchase, the tractors are belonging to the presidency, and the presidency has its own means. Anything that comes to South Sudan the government is responsible for it,” he said.

“The government is headed by the presidency. The purchased tractors came in thought a programme by the ministry of agriculture, but the tractors were imported through the ministry of defense. But the president was the one who initiated the programme,” Aguer added.