Kiir presents new cabinet structure to state governors
August 2, 2013 (JUBA) – President Salva Kiir presented his new cabinet structure to South Sudan’s 10 state governors, asking them to also downsize their own administrations at the state level.
During the meeting at his office on Thursday, the president also asked for more cooperation among the state governors and federal ministers for effective delivery of basic services.
Kiir said the main reason for reducing the size his cabinet was so that more money could be channeled to support development projects. The number of ministers and deputy ministers has been reduced to from 58 to 31. This includes the president, minister in the office of the president and the still-to-be-appointed new vice president.
According to a broadcast on state-run SSTV, Kiir called on South Sudan’s governors to help him restructure and strengthen the local offices of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
It remains unclear as to how governors can be directly involved in the restructuring of the ruling party as some of them do not have control of the local structures in their areas.
“It was very important meeting. We went as the governors to the president to congratulate him on the formation of the new cabinet and to declare to him our support and the support of our people”, the governor of Central Equatoria state, Clement Wani Konga said in a statement broadcast on Thursday evening.
He did not elaborate on the call by the president seeking the reduction in the size of state cabinet and no separate official statement was released by the governors.
CABINET TO BE REFERRED FOR APPROVAL
The structure of the new cabinet will now be referred to the national parliament for study and approval, while the office of the president will manifest itself in two “executive institutions”, shared between himself, two ministers in his office and vice president who has not been named.
Ministries unchanged in the restructuring include justice, defence and veteran affairs, foreign affairs and international cooperation, national security, a ministry in the office of the president, vice president office, health among others.
The ministries of information and broadcasting and telecommunications and postal services have been combined into one ministry of information, broadcasting, telecommunication and postal services.
The ministries of agriculture, forestry, cooperatives and rural development and fisheries, animal and resources have been combined into one ministry of agriculture, forestry, livestock and fisheries.
The ministries of education and higher education have been merged into one ministry of education, science and technology.
The ministry of transport and the ministry of roads and bridges were joined to create the ministry of transport, road and bridges.
The ministries of environment and mineral resource, water and forestry were combined into one ministry of environment, water and natural resources.
The ministries of land, housing and nairobi metropolitan were combined into one ministry of land, housing and urban development.
The ministries of sports, national heritage and culture were combined into one ministry of sports, culture and the arts.
The ministry of interior has been combined with wildlife and conservation.
The ministry of finance and economic planning has been restructured to include commerce.
The ministry of environment has been merged with the ministry of petroleum, industry and mining. Other ministries will now be observed as departments in other ministries.
(ST)