Kiir orders limited foreign travel for officials

March 31, 2012 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, on Friday issued a presidential order, limiting the number of officials who travel abroad.

This comes as South Sudan begins implementing austerity measures imposed by the government following the shutdown of oil production, which used to generate 98% of young country’s annual budget.

Frequent foreign travel by government officials has been a source of depleting.

According to Kiir’s order, all presidential advisors, ministers, deputy ministers and state governors are banned from traveling with more than two officials or aides from their respective institutions.

In particular office managers and private secretaries of the said officials are banned from traveling with their bosses and should always remain in the offices.

South Sudan’s President also instructed the above mentioned constitutional post holders not to enter into international or regional agreements without the approval from the Council of Ministers.

The order came into effect on 29 March 2012.

ANGOLA RELATIONS

South Sudan’s Presidential Affairs Minister Deng Alor, has just concluded a three-day tip to Luanda where he met with Angola President Jose Eduardo dos Santos and delivered a message from his country’s leader Salva Kiir Mayardit on bilateral ties.

Alor told reporters on Friday that South Sudan hopes to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various sectors.

He said that his country is interested in developing cooperation in the areas of defence, security and mining.

(ST)