South Sudan VP orders SSRDF to manage MDTF funds
By Isaac Vuni
March 16, 2008 (JUBA) — The Southern Sudan Reconstruction and Development Fund commission should manage the Multi Donors Trust Funds (MDTF) because it has qualified staff to deliver the reconstruction and development services to southern Sudanese, the GoSS Vice president Riek Machar said today.
Machar reminded the state governors and ministers of finance that Goss government was committed in implementing a decentralized system throughout southern Sudan.
The senior GoSS official recounted that during the CPA negotiations two commissions including Joint Assessment Team and SSRDF were created where GoSS contributed two third shares however due to the lack of legal framework the World Bank was invited to manage funds coming from MDTF.
The Joint Assessment Mission had identified the priorities for the areas most affected by the civil war. The GoSS used JAM reports to set out its priorities starting with security, provision of health services, infrastructures among others since 2005 but that by 2009 the issue of insecurity will become the second, while infrastructures in generality takes the first priority of Goss, Machar said.
“Therefore its vital that should now be a transition from World Bank managing MDTF to southern Sudan to manage its own fund through SSRDF” Machar stressed.
Machar disclosed that by next year conditional grant to states would be shifted as a block grant to enable states primary health care, hospitals, primary and secondary schools to be fully managed by each state.
However, the VP recommended that each state ensure that ghost names are wiped out of their payrolls used primarily for abusing government funds and properties.
South Sudan Reconstruction and Development Fund workshop was launched yesterday under the theme; “Reconstruction and Development for Economic Recovery and prosperity in South Sudan”
There were papers presented on Economic Recovery by Revence Kalibwani, Social Recovery policy by Mrs. Hellen Murshali, State development fund by Marcello Lado, Ethiopian Experience on post conflict reconstruction by Afework Eyesus, Rural based reconstruction by Professor Peter Tingwa and lecture on comparative post conflict reconstruction in Africa, southern Sudan lesson by Professor Anyong Nyong.
After two days of deliberations the participants came out with recommendations and resolutions but the media were asked not to publish anything pending “language polishing” by the secretariat.
(ST)