The SPLM-IO parliamentary caucus said the 2023/2024 budget has failed to address the issues of peace implementation and funding for the upcoming elections.
South Sudan is governed by a transitional coalition government formed under a 2018 peace agreement. However, key provisions of the agreement remain largely unimplemented.
On 4 August 2022, parties to the agreement signed on to a further two-year extension of the governance arrangements, postponing elections until December 2024.
Last month, Finance Minister Dier Tong Ngor presented the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2023/2024 before Parliament.
The proposed national budget of 2 trillion South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) focuses primarily on addressing civil servants’ salaries and various government expenditures.
Speaking at a press conference in Juba on Sunday, Nathaniel Oyet, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, issued a stern warning on behalf of the SPLM-IO lawmakers, highlighting the potential consequences if the executive wing of the government fails to allocate sufficient funds to critical tasks outlined in the peace agreement, putting both the roadmap and the 2024 elections at risk.
Nathaniel Oyet, who is also the deputy chairman of the SPLM-IO, said: “The fiscal year budget of 2023-2024 has not allocated funds for the 2024 elections, nor has it allocated funds for crucial elements such as security arrangements, the permanent constitution-making process, repatriation and resettlement of refugees, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). These requisites are indispensable for the conduct of fair and credible elections, as President Kiir himself emphasized in his Independence Day message of peace.”
The critical tasks outlined in the peace agreement are of paramount importance and must be addressed promptly, he added.
The lawmaker explained that the critical tasks outlined in the peace agreement include the security arrangements (phase 1&2), repatriation and resettlement of refugees and IDPs, population census, permanent constitution making process, transitional justice process, and the process of conducting national elections.
The first deputy speaker underscored that the SPLM-IO parliamentary caucus is dissatisfied with the government’s decision to allocate 50 billion South Sudanese pounds (SSP 50,000,000,000) for implementing the peace agreement.
The SPLM IO official contended that the fiscal year amount currently under scrutiny falls short of what is necessary to effectively address the challenges at hand.
“This is the last budget year, as budget years typically run from June to June. With June next year fast approaching and marking the end of the roadmap, this is our final opportunity to execute the majority of the required tasks concerning the elections and the implementation of the agreement and roadmap,” he said
The first deputy speaker explained that the discordance between the allocation in the 2023/2024 budget and its theme of “the Implementation and Consolidation of the Peace Agreement” has raised concerns, as the President’s Independence Day speech delivered on July 8, 2023, specifically emphasized “consolidating peace and stability to pave the way for transparent, fair, and credible elections,” which calls for a more aligned approach in budget allocation.
Oyet called on the National Ministry of Finance and Planning to present without delay a supplementary budget for the critical pending tasks of the peace agreement for the conduct of free and fair general elections in December 2024.
The SPLM-IO deputy chairman said their parliamentary caucus observed that the budget presented by the finance minister was a budget for increment of salaries and wages of the civil servants and organized forces, which he said is inadequate.
“The Caucus, therefore, approved the increment of salaries and wages of the civil servants, military, and organized forces, beyond the 400%, as contained in the FY 2023/ 2024 budget second reading report by the Chairperson of the Economic Cluster of the Transitional National Legislature,” Oyet said.
“In addition, the Caucus recommends allocation for Electronic Payroll System to ensure payroll cleansing from ghost names per the resolution of the Council of Ministers,” he concluded.