Kiir sacks Finance minister, head of oil company

11 July 2024
In Corruption, Finance, News, Politics, South Sudan

July 11, 2024 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has sacked the Finance minister, Daniel Awow Chuang before making the first payment and presenting a new budget in his capacity.

Chuang was removed through a presidential order announced on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Wednesday.

A separate decree also removed the head of the state oil company (Nilepet) Bernard Amuor Makeny.

No reasons were given for the new changes.

Many, however, attribute the cause to fear arising from concerns that a surge in consumer prices due to inflation may inspire an uprising in the country.

Civil servants and members of the army and organized forces go for months without payment.

The government attributes the cause of irregular payment to a drop in the stream of oil revenue, owing to a decline in the production and sale of the crude oil usually exported to the international markets through neigbouring Sudan has been affected by the raging conflict in Sudan.

The purchasing strength of the local currency has also declined sharply against the US dollar.

The minister of finance was appointed into the office in March 2024 and removed before spending six months.

Kiir appointed Marial Deng Ring to replace Daniel Awou Chuang and Bernard Amuor Makeny as Managing Director of the state-owned Nile Petroleum Corporation (Nilepet) with Mohammed Lino Benjamin.

Benjamin was serving as the technical advisor to the Ministry of Petroleum until he was relieved.

Other changes saw the removal of undersecretary of the Health ministry, Ader Machar Achiek and his counterpart from the Petroleum ministry, William Anyak Deng.

Achiek was replaced by Harriet Pasquale as the new Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health and Chol Deng Thon Abel as the new Undersecretary in the Ministry of Petroleum.

Chol twice served as head of Nilepet.

Economic and political analysts have always questioned the rationale behind frequent changes, urging the president and his handlers to give reasonable terms of office during which officials can plan and implement their plans to improve the economy.

Others say frequent changes in the Finance ministry and Nilepet encourage corruption and do not offer an opportunity to address the economic crisis

(ST)