The tabling of South Sudan’s 2024-2025 national budget has been delayed due to the absence of Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater.
The minister is currently attending the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group annual meeting in Washington, DC.
The meeting which will run from 21 to 26 October brought together global leaders to discuss critical issues such as the world economy, poverty reduction, and aid effectiveness.
Oliver Mori Benjamin, Chairperson for the Information Committee at Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the tabling of budget in its second reading must be done in presence of the minister.
“It has not taken long, you remember when the budget was tabled on 23 September, the parliament, seeing the importance of the budget and the delay that happened, promised to double its efforts to finish the budget within three weeks, which means by yesterday (Monday), the budget should have been over,” he explained. “The standing specialized committees and the five clusters plus the main committee of finance, have finished their work in the budget preparation, waiting only for the tabling.”
Mori added: “So, you may be aware that the minister of finance traveled to America to attend the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meeting, and that will take almost 10 days.”
He reported that the first reading of the budget was done by the minister but that the second reading was to be tabled by the committee of finance and must be done in the presence of the minister because members will have some queries. He said the budget will now be tabled on 4 November in its second reading.
“As soon as he (finance minister) returns, the budget will be tabled and for your information, the minister came here to get permission from the speaker telling her that the meeting of the World Bank is very important also because it is related to the budget,” Mori said. “So, he will be coming by the end of this month and they agreed with the speaker that the budget can be tabled on 4 November which I think will be the first Monday of next month. So, the second reading will be tabled, third and fourth will come.”
In September, Finance Minister Dr. Dongrin Ater tabled a budget estimate of SSP 4.1 trillion for spending in the fiscal year 2024-2025 before parliament.
The proposal is aimed at consolidating peace, settling arrears, and funding security sector reforms as well as servicing outstanding debts and stabilizing the economy on top of promoting economic diversification.