South Sudan states to manage necessary financial means for development – WES Governor
October 11, 2008 (YAMBIO) – The governor of Western Equatoria State (WES) Jemma Nunu Kumba yesterday said that Juba governors forum had agreed to transfer more funds to the states directly to enhance local development projects.
The 6th Governors’ Forum of Southern Sudan was held during five days in Juba to review progress achieved and resolve on challenges facing state governments in the context of implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The meeting started on Monday September 29.
Jemma local reporters at Yambio strip that, “Forum’s theme was operationalisation of decentralization of in southern Sudan.”. She further said that “The forum focused on how best the state Governments and developmental partners can create a forum to establish a common understanding in funding and running projects in the states”.
On fiscal decentralization the Forum resolved and recommended that adequate resources be transferred to states in form of increase in South Sudan government block grants, conditional grants and foreign aid assistance, and states to further transfer sufficient resources to counties.
“This will enable the states to know how much money is being transferred and spent in projects deemed for the states.” She said.
Jemma added that, “the Governors’ forum resolved many agendas, including the reform of local Government act, so that more funds are channeled via states to help enhance developments at grass-root level, this will also reduce too much bureaucracy from GOSS to counties.”
The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) will take lead in this case, she underscored.
“The Governors’ forum resolved issues pertaining the reform of public services launched by president Salva Kiir, which will reduce the rampant corruption of Ghost names in the pay list GOSS employee, and consider how employee in the former regime and the employees who served in the liberated areas can access their pensions, for those who are due for pension.” Jemma said.
In their respective presentations at the forum the governors of the ten Southern Sudan states blamed Juba for centralizing powers that were supposed to be devolved to state governments in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan (ICSS) and demanded for immediate devolution of such powers.
(ST)