Activists demand sacking of South Sudan bank governor
November 5, 2016 (JUBA) – Leaders of the alliance of the civil society Saturday have issued a strongly worded statement calling on President Salva Kiir to immediately sack the governor of the central bank and take him to court to face justice.
Keluel Agok Kuch, Secretary General and Spokesperson South Sudan Civil Society Alliance, called in a statement circulated in the media and addressed to President Salva Kiir to sack the governor of the central bank, and to dismiss from their positions undersecretaries in the ministry of Finance and planning.
The statement has called for “allowing presidential advisor on economics affairs, former finance minister, governor of the Bank of South Sudan to appear before court to face justice for misleading the nation as a result the citizens are suffering on daily basis and many have already died of hunger due to order of December 2015 on currency devaluation”.
Kuch warned that civil society groups may organize mass protests against the government which “has deprived the will of the people as it is the transitional constitution of the republic of South Sudan if it failed to relief the Governor of the Central Bank and his two deputies immediately”.
As result of the fall of oil prices and the continuation of the three year conflict in the country, inflation reached over “300 percent- the highest level in the world – and the South Sudanese pound dropping 90 percent of its value since independence, the majority of working South Sudanese are now poorer than they were 10 years ago,” said Oxfam in a report released last July..
The group called on the government to review the military spending and to rebuild the new nation. It further called on the international community to support South Sudan and provide funds to prevent disaster and promote economic development and long term reconciliation.
Kuch, called on the international community to immediately freeze money received from South Sudan, and place under the management of the Special Reconstruction Fund to save the life of the citizens of South Sudan.
He recommends to the Government to reconstitute the fixed exchange rate, saying the capacity of the people and the country is weak to manage the floating exchange rate regime and advise the telecommunication companies to be fair to the people by raising affordable tariffs.
The statement further called upon the government to take drastic measures against black market traders particularly businessmen owner of big companies allegedly hoarding dollars and pounds in their homes.
It further call upon the Government to immediately pay the salary of the working class and to establish large scale food corps farming, Government companies to sell commodities with lower prices, complete construction of the refinery to reduce the high fuel price in the country and to introduce deficit reduction programs of roles of the Government.
(ST)