South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny
The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) has called for auditing of government institutions in order to ensure transparency and accountability.
“CPA has come to understand that for several years the key government spending agencies never present an annual performance audit report,” said Ter Manyang Gatwech, the Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy in a statement issued in Juba.
Gatwech said all key government institutions must present annual performance audit reports for the public to understand how tax payers’ resources are managed.
He disclosed that the public has the right of access to information in order to hold the government officials accountable.
“This is the only way for public to regain trust and confidence in the ability of the government to deliver services across the country,” said Gatwech.
He said that they have been expecting that the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) that took place on February 22, 2020, would be accountable to the citizens, adding that since that time to date no single ministry within RTGoNU has provided the public with its annual performance audit report.
“The country is receiving a lot of donations and grants from the international and regional development agencies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), USAID, European Union, the World Bank and Africa Development Bank and from both oil and non-oil revenues locally. South Sudanese citizens are not aware how all these resources are managed and they want the public officials and their institutions to account for all these incomes received internationally, regionally and locally,” said Gatwech.
He said that the Revitalized Agreement emphasizes the need for radical economic reforms that will lead to equal and equitable wealth sharing in the country.
“This what Articles1.2.7 of the Revitalized Agreement provides when it demands that the Key government Institutions shall carry out radical reforms and transformation of public financial management systems to ensure transparency and accountability,” said Gatwech.
He said that the government spending agencies must show high levels of transparency and accountability by accounting for all resources they manage if the results of radical reforms are to be realized.
Gatwech said that they are demanding all public institutions that are entrusted with the management of public resources to conduct an audit and publish their annual performance audit reports beginning from this year.
“The public is interested to know whether the government is performing well or not,” he said.
He also called for empowerment of the South Sudan Anti- Corruption Commission so that it acts independently without political interference.
Gatwech reminded officials of their duty to deliver services to the people of South Sudan.
“Citizens have never enjoyed the fruits of their struggles for liberation of this country since her independence due to persistent civil war and insecurity in South Sudan. The current leaders must fulfill the hopes, fruits and inspiration of South Sudanese,” he said.
