By Philip Buda Ladu
Lawmakers at the Transitional National Legislature discussed the 287 billion South Sudanese pounds 2021/2022 financial year budget in its second reading on Monday as the Finance and Economic Committees finally compiled their reports.
The announcement was been made by the office of the Clerk of the Transitional National Legislature on Friday 11th March 2022, notifying the MPs to turn up for Monday’s sitting of the August House on the budget.
“The Office of the Clerk, to the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislature has the pleasure to cordially notify all the Members of the Legislature that the National Budget for the fiscal year 2021/2022 in its second reading stage is schedule to take place on Monday 14th March 2022 at 10:00 am at the Freedom Hall, Juba” the Clerk’s announcement read.
The Minister of Finance and Planning, Agak Achuil Lual presented the long overdue budget to the National Legislature on Wednesday February, 2nd 2022, and since then lawmakers are yet to deliberate on the SSP 287 billion financial year budget.
Jema Nunu Kumba, the Right Honourable Speaker of the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislature (RTNL) upon presentation of the National Budget to the parliament by the finance minister, committed the budget to the committees of finance and economics in the two houses.
Nunu urged the committees in the two August Houses to scrutinize the budget break it down and report back to the parliament within three weeks’ period or 21 days however the work of the Committees had been behind schedule as they have reported back to the parliament a little late.
John Agany Deng, the Chairperson of the Information Committee at the TNLA confirmed to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on phone last Monday that the committees have finished their work and forwarded the reports to the cluster levels for compilation.
“It has gone out from the committee level; it has already gone to the cluster levels, now it’s already being filed up today (Monday) and then on the 9th it will be tabled next Wednesday we have already finished it,” Aganny confirmed to No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit in August 2021 during his inauguration of the peace parliament urged the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislature (RTNL) to urgently debate and pass the national budget.