Government assures commitment to clear outstanding debt to regional body

The government assured delegates of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) meeting in Juba on Wednesday that it remains committed to meeting it’s debt obligation to the regional body.
The members of the ICGLR Audit Committee are seen on Wednesday in a group photo in Juba (Photo by Jenifer James)

By Jenifer James

The government assured delegates of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) meeting in Juba on Wednesday that it remains committed to meeting it’s debt obligation to the regional body.

“What I want to underline that South Sudan is committed to clear its debt that is outstanding, and we all know that all member countries have done their level best to mitigate the differences in financial resources to run the activities. Once again, I repeat that South Sudan is committed to clearing arrears and hopefully in the nearest possible time,’’ said Amb. Juma Dino Amoi, Director General for Regional Organizations Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Juba.

He was speaking during the 25th meeting of the ICGLR audit committee at Pyramid Hotel.

The meeting  attended by 12 representatives from members states, provided a platform for participants to engage in discussions on the committee’s key functions, which include transparency and accountability in the Great Lakes region.

 Philip Kiplangat, Acting Chairperson of the ICGLR Audit Committee, said that  the three- day event will offer a chance to strengthen the strategy of the member states’ commitment to accountability and responsible resource management.

“These three days offer to us the chance not to strengthen our strategy but also renew our shared commitment to accountability and responsible resource management. Today, we start with a comprehensive look at our third audit updates from across the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. These updates give us valuable insights into where we stand and work and where we need to push forward,” said Kiplangat.

He also said that their discussions will be of great importance at the upcoming regional forum on mineral development, adding that the forum is a crucial peer learning platform to advance joint mineral value addition projects and industries.

Mwau Kuligha, ICGLR Internal Auditor representative said the meeting will discuss several critical objectives and proposed changes to the audit methodology and tools, and analyze third-party audit proposals for Uganda, and also finalize the review of corrective action plans for South Kivu audits, and consider the accreditation of the new audit firms and auditors.

“The committee has successfully completed corrective action plans for nine audits of South Kivu province, while three additional audits in Tanganyika province are approaching completion,’’ she said.

 International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, is an intergovernmental organization of African countries in the African Great Lakes region which focuses on promoting peace, security and good governance among member countries.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *