South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The government said on Monday that it has begun reviewing the conclusions of the first National Economic Conference to pave the way for the country’s economic development.
Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater, Minister of Finance and Planning, said that some resolutions of the Economic Conference will be used to tackle the economic crisis.
“So the resolutions plus other plans that we have had at the country, we are reviewing them. I Say that we pick the ones that are more relevant and they can have a big impact in addressing the situation,” Dongrin told lawmakers following his summon by parliament on Monday.
Dongrin said they will pick the more relevant outcomes with big impact in addressing the situation.
“We are not going to reinvent the wheel, but again, we will have to be practical based on our contacts and accept that we may not want to be theoretical,” he said.
He said the outcomes of the conference will inform some of the reforms they are undertaking and the plans, as well as the economic recovery that the ministry shall present to the public.
The first National Economic Conference was held in Juba from 4th to 8th September 2023.
It was organized for the government to analyze, debate, and offer actionable policy recommendations on how to stabilize the country’s ailing economy.
It ended with at least 160 resolutions, with President Kiir committing to its implementation.
The outcomes include the expansion of domestic revenue mobilization, the enhancement of Public Financial Management policies and procedures, the strengthening of the public procurement system, and harmonization of the exchange rate.
South Sudan’s economy has been under pressure in recent years with crude oil export revenue having dwindled since 2013.
The economic outlook has been worsened due to disruption of crude oil export via Port Sudan amid ongoing civil war in neighboring Sudan, which erupted on 14 April 2023.
The South Sudan Pound (SSP) has continued to lose value against the U.S dollar resulting in high inflation in the market (rise in prices of basic commodities) such as food and fuel).
