The Western Bahr el Ghazal State finance ministry on Wednesday presented an SSP 8 billion budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year before the state parliament.
On Monday, the state’s legislative assembly deferred the presentation of the budget after a member, James Giir Wol, questioned if emoluments for the legislature and executive were factored in the budget proposals.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj after the presentation of the budget, Harun Abaker, the chairperson of the economic committee in the parliament, said the budget will cover the state government’s operation costs and civil servant salaries.
“Today (Wednesday), the state budget for 2022-23 for Western Bahr el Ghazal has been presented by the minister for finance, and it is a total of SSP 8, 851,876,130. This is a total of the budget that has been tabled before the assembly,” he said. “This is the first budget tabled in ten years; the last budget brought to the assembly was in 2012. This is an achievement for the national unity government.”
Harun urged his colleagues to participate with goodwill while deliberating about the budget because it involves the delivery of services to the state’s population.
“Anybody within the assembly is free to lobby for anything that needs to be included or excluded from the budget because this budget is connected to the life of the citizens,” he added.
The budget was presented by the state minister of finance, Josephine Mario Ali.