Government Institutions Must Emulate Bank of South Sudan-It Cuts Costs

By Okech Francis 

Over the Easter break, the Bank of South Sudan announced it had completed the residents of the governor and opened it up for use.

By entering the house, it immediately stops the bank from spending heavily on its top official in hotel bills.

With Juba having poor housing infrastructures, top officials in the country, in their thousands have often been accommodated in hotels, many with their families at very high costs for the government.

Work on the residence of the Governor of the Central Bank began in 2022 and remains in record for completion in just two years’ time, a surprising quick one.

The significance of the Villa, expensive as it seems will rather turn out to be the most cost effective by cutting off cost on the accommodation of any governor of the Bank of South Sudan.

South Sudan spends huge sums of money when it comes to accommodating government officials in the most lavish hotels in the capital Juba.

Some hotels suites cost in the region of $1500 to $2000 or so per single night and government officials simply go for the comfort they provide.

Even in other hotels, if not that lavish, they, in their different capacities have rooms in the regions of $100, $200, $500 and so on.

Government officials at levels of director generals, undersecretaries, ministers, going upwards spent every day of their lives accommodating in such hotels.

Other special groups, in security, intelligence, experts, consultants, and so on all live in hotels in Juba. 

Another reason given for accommodating government officials in hotels have always been linked to their security.

Of cause it started after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in 2005 and former fighters and people in the diaspora returned in droves to prepare for the country’s independence.  Juba had no infrastructures and people had to resort to makeshift hotels which later developed into high quality ones.

The practice has not changed to date and government must cough out millions of dollars monthly to accommodate them, at the cost of other developmental activities and services in the country.

Limiting such cost and expenses was what lingered on the mind of the management of the Central Bank when the decision to build the governor’s residence was kick started.

Governor Dr. James Alic Garang was quick to hail his predecessors for taking up the initiative which has been completed in his tenure.

The villa will eliminate expenses of the bank governor in hotels and as well cost of hiring hotel halls for seminars or meetings for bank officials or important visitors.

According to Garang, the residence has the capacity to hold staff meetings, accommodate a few visitors and thus lower expenses of the bank.

South Sudan is going through a very difficult economic situation and would need every little resource to turn it around. If all institutions could have residences for their heads and top employees, so that they walk out of the hotels, the country would realize a lot of revenues that are currently lost in their accommodations. 

As the country looks at short term solutions to its problems in the economic sector, it also must look at long term cost cutting programs.