Implement financial reforms to fight graft, improve accountability: CEPO
March 15, 2022 (JUBA) – Implementation of public financial management reforms should improve accountability and the fight against corruption in South Sudan, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said Wednesday.
The call comes days after a team from the Finance and Economic Planning ministry met a delegation from International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Juba to discuss how the financial institution could work with government to restructure and reform the financial management system in the country.
“Fighting all forms of corruption or delivering financial reforms through political statements than actualizing the required standards of operations for financial reforms and anti-corruption is not convincing enough. Government should show commitment towards transparent implementation of financial reforms provided for in Chapter IV of the revitalized peace agreement,” says CEPO’s Executive Director, Edmund Yakani.
South Sudan was ranked as the most corrupt amongst the 180 countries in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International (TI).
The TI index, which ranked 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of 0-100 – where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is clean.
In January, the Troika member states called for expedition in the implementation of public financial management reforms in South Sudan, saying strengthening of such reforms demonstrate government’s commitment to reform process and enhance trust with global partners.
South Sudan made significant progress on public financial management reforms, including prudent monetary policy, successful foreign exchange reform and steps towards sounder public cash management.
These steps, according to the Troika, have already benefitted South Sudan’s people through a more stable exchange rate and slower inflation.
“CEPO is urging both the IMF and Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to ensure that the other state institutions that are constitutionally mandated to ensure that transparency and accountability are practically functional without any political constraints,” said Yakani.
He cited state institutions such as the Auditor General of South Sudan, Anti-Corruption Commission of South Sudan, Fiscal Allocation and Monitoring Commission and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament.
“Non-functionality of these state institutions raises serious transparency and accountability concerns as financial reforms take effect,” stressed Yakani.
Meanwhile, CEPO urged the IMF to ensure that the United Nations Convention against Corruption is implemented and its outcomes reviewed.
Revenues from oil constitute over 98 percent South Sudan’s annual budget.
(ST)