South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Bec George, has called on accounting officers and technical budget staff to ensure credible and accurate budget submissions as South Sudan works to finalize its 2025–2026 national budget amid mounting economic challenges.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day budget planning workshop in Juba, Deputy Minister George said that the primary goal of the forum is to strengthen the capacity of government personnel involved in national budgeting.
“This workshop is essential. We are here to equip our teams with the tools and skills necessary to prepare and submit reliable budget estimates to the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
The workshop comes at a time when the government is grappling with persistent economic instability and delays in the payment of civil servants’ salaries.
“We recognise that many budget holders, including the Ministry of Finance, are unable to pay salaries on time largely due to a cash crunch in the banking system,” said Benjamin Ayali, Undersecretary for Planning in the Ministry of Finance. “I want to re-emphasise to my colleagues, the accounting officers, that you are not alone. We are working closely with the Bank of South Sudan to address these issues.”
The delay in finalising the national budget was also discussed during the workshop. The 2025–2026 fiscal plan was expected to be passed by 1 July, in accordance with the Public Financial Management and Accountability Act. However, that deadline will not be met.
Meanwhile, Bol Yor, Director-General for Budget and Revenue Policy, assured that the budget would be passed on time.
“As usual, we’ve experienced some delays. We had promised that this year’s budget would be passed on time, but due to unavoidable circumstances, that has not been possible. That said, we remain committed to completing the process as soon as the Transitional National Legislative Assembly returns from recess,” he said.
Bol emphasised the ministry’s determination to align the budget with constitutional and financial management requirements, despite the delays.
“We will continue to do the best we can for our people and for the country,” he stated.
The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to improve inter-agency collaboration, strengthen budget credibility, and prioritise timely salary payments as part of broader economic reforms.
