By Adia Jildo
An economist has criticized the President’s action of appointing and dismissing Ministers of Finance and Governors of the Bank of South Sudan and in most cases recycling the same people, saying the rotational exercise through decrees amid deteriorating economic situation won’t help address the economic recession in the country.
The economist assertion came after President Salva Kiir issued a decree read over the national broadcast South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Thursday evening sacking the former Minister of Finance and Planning, Agak Acuil Lual and replaced him in another decree with the former Governor of the Central Bank Dier Tong Ngor.
The President also in a separate decree fired the former Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, Moses Makur Deng in the same Thursday evening series of decrees and directed the first Deputy of the Central Bank to act as the governor immediately.
However reacting to the Presidential decrees, Professor Akima Ajieth an economist said the fact that the people who have been brought to those positions of the relieved were former officials in those offices will not have a positive impact to the economic crisis the Country is going through.
“The same people, who have been brought now to the Ministry of Finance and the Governor, are the same people who are there not new people. I think it’s going to be the same scenario or situation,” he said.
“The new Minister of Finance used to be the Governor of the Central Bank. This will not make any difference in the economic sector. It would make a difference if it was a new person in that position.” he added.
“I don’t see anything good coming out of the current situation that we are in,” citing only if a new policy has to be derived to stabilize the economy and bring new reform.”
The economist suggested that the only solution would be the formation of an independent commission to head the national advisory council to independently work for the economic problem of the Country.
“The solution would be to form an independent commission to head the economic cluster, the national advisory council that would independently work and takes its policies to the President. We don’t have an independent committee to take policies to the President,” he noted.
Ajieth however said despite the fact that the Minister of Finance has been relieved, he should be appreciated for the steps of clearing the arrears of civil servants that no other person in the Ministry had ever done in history.