By: Ijoo Bosco
Eastern Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly has passed the State budget for the fiscal year 2021/2022 to the tune of three billion South Sudanese pounds (SSP 3 million).
The State budget that has less than a month to finish its operationalization period was presented to State parliament for accountability formality reasons as the its financial period has elapsed.
State’s Finance Minister Peter Lokuju Lotirmoi said the budget was equitably allocated to spending agencies in line with the government expenditure and responsibilities with intention to response to the needs and demands of citizens.
Mr. Lokuju said the good working relationship between the parliament and the executive has created a condusive environment for sound and stable governance for promoting peace, security, safety, justice and peaceful coexistence among communities in the state.
The Minister added that, they are now working on the next financial year budget which will be presented to the State parliament in three weeks’ time.
Minister Lokuju further said that the operating expenses of spending Agencies across the State counties are as low with 16 percent compared to wage bills but this year allocation has been adjusted to cope up with the Market inflation.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of Information Cluster Kokol Michael Loturo said that the August House has come up with the total amount of 3,248,196,332 South Sudanese Pounds.
Mr. Kokol has encouraged all governmental institutions in the state to plan earlier in order to put their houses in order with the approaching new fiscal year budget 2022/2023 that needs to be tabled before the August house for deliberation and approval.
On his part, the Speaker of Eastern Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly Severino Maira Janus said that this fiscal year budget has improved, saying that many States of South Sudan has not yet passed their budget.
He said the document is passed with totality adding that, this budget passed is a finished budget 2021- 2022
The speakers made the Remarks during an extra – ordinary sitting No.12/2022 on Wednesday.