By Lodu William Odiya
Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission has urged South Sudan to modernize its financial systems as part of the agreement.
According to RJMEC quarterly report released yesterday, there is need for the government to speed up the process of modernizing its financial system.
“The establishment of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) is underway, aimed at modernizing cash management and enhancing oversight and centralized control over government cash resources by the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Central Bank” RJMEC report noted.
RJMEC quarterly report released yesterday stated that oversight bodies like the Audit Chamber and Anti-Corruption Commission are receiving capacity-building support, while new legislation for the Fiscal Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission awaits full approval.
“Currently, efforts are focused on aligning the Core Banking System of the Bank of South Sudan with the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) in the ministries. Once complete, the TSA will become operational” statement read.
The statement underscored the Free Balance system for financial and human resource management has become operational, supporting transparency and accountability.
“During the quarter, the Free Balance system, a platform for public financial and human resource management that enhances governance, transparency, and accountability, became operational after being shut down in the second half of 2024” statement emphasized.
Statement emphasised a comprehensive payroll cleansing and headcount was planned in three phases, starting with national employees in August 2025, to ensure transparency and eliminate fraud.
“This is part of a 3-phase head count strategy. The first being at the national level for which preparation is at an advanced stage and would commence in August 2025 with 300,000 employees. The second phase is at the line ministry, which will focus on State level employees” the statement explained.
The process includes the rollout of a biometric system and prioritizes pension contributions, with a Pension Fund Act already operational.
“The payroll system HRMIS is being designed to ensure transparency and accountability in the entire public sector. The new biometric system would ensure I person one job, would start in July and the Head Count would start in August.
The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed on September 12, 2018 by the warring parties and other stakeholders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It stipulates a series of reforms covering a wide spectrum of sectors, including economic, security, public service, and judiciary, among others.
This policy brief attempts to contribute to the reform agenda regarding the management of public finances in South Sudan.
Since independence and transition from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan had and continues to face immense political, institutional, social and economic challenges.
The country lacks coherent core institutional structures of governance and critical infrastructure more especially public financial management (PFM) which was critical for financial mobilization in the country.