Awow Daniel Chuang, the National Minister of Finance, on Tuesday, tabled the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Bill 2024 before the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) for consideration and adoption.
He told the legislators that the Bill would improve the delivery of public goods and services such as public utilities, education, medical services, and facilities to the citizens among others.
“Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets, through the promulgation of the regulation, will contribute to fiscal discipline in spending by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), accountability and transparency in procurement and disposal of assets process, improved delivery of public goods and services such public utilities, educational systems, medical services and facilities to the citizens of South Sudan,” Chuang said. “It will lead to improved incomes to suppliers or contractors and creation of employment leading to economic growth and improved government revenue through taxes from suppliers and services providers.”
For his part, Oliver Mori Benjamin, the chairperson of the House’s information committee and parliamentary spokesperson, said the Bill will guide on how public assets are disposed of.
“We have vehicles and other fixed or movable assets. There has not been any law guiding how these assets can be disposed of. You will find that each department or ministry if they have got vehicles which have overlived their age, will auction them or sell them with preferential or general auctioning,” he explained. “There was no law guiding that. But now with this Procurement Bill, if an institution wants to dispose of assets, they will follow set regulations.”
Mori added: “And if a department or a ministry wants to buy a vehicle or certain items, they will have to follow this Procurement Bill.”