Jonglei budget to go before executive for approval on Friday
September 16, 2014 (BOR) – Jonglei state’s long-awaited budget is due to be returned to the state executive for approval on Friday before going to the state assembly for deliberations.
The minister of information and communications, Jody Jonglei Boyoris, said on Tuesday that the state finance minister had received the draft budget document from the state technical committee, which will be presented during the Council of Ministers’ meeting on Friday.
The draft document was tabled by the state’s technical experts for review on 8 July.
However, due to some additions and the removal of some chapters the committee exceeded its proposed 14-day adjustment period.
Boyoris said he was not aware of the nature of the draft budget, which is estimated at 327 million South Sudanese pounds (SSP).
The latest budget includes a development column for the first time since the then Southern Sudan government came into existence in 2005 in Jonglei state.
State parliamentary speaker Peter Deng Aguer said the assembly is waiting to review the draft, adding that there is no specific timeline from the executive about when the document is expected to reach the assembly.
“I am not aware about when it (budget draft) will reach the assembly,” he said, citing the country’s current crisis for the delays in the budget process.
“It is the making of the circumstances of the situation imposed on us by the rebels. Even the national budget [had] delays,” he said.
Normally a new budget would be in place at the start of the new financial year in July.
However, although almost three months have passed Jonglei is still without a final budget in place.
According to an employee in the human resources department in the state ministry of public service, all promotions, staff hiring and other development projects planned for this financial year will be withheld.
Jonglei was the scene of intense fighting between government troops and rebel forces after South Sudan descended into conflict in mid-December last year.
The violence caused massive displacement, as well as widespread destruction to public infrastructure.
(ST)