By Bida Elly David
The high-level standing committee tasked to head the R-ARCSS roadmap yesterday announced an official end to the 36 months’ period of the transitional government of national unity R-TGoNU and the commencement of the extended period with 16 incomplete bills yet to be accomplished.
Cabinet Affairs Minister and the secretary general for the committee Dr Martin Elia Lomuro announced to the media that the official lifespan for the Revitalized Agreement for the Resolution of Conflicts in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) concluded as of yesterday midnight with eight pending bills submitted to the R-TNLA for debate and eight others to the Council of Ministers.
“Eight bills have been submitted to the R-TNLA for ratification. The social insurance Bill 2022, public health bill 2022, wildlife conservation and protected areas bill, disarmament of civil population provisional order, national public health provisional order, cybercrimes and computer misuse bill, national petroleum and gas cooperation act, audit chamber act 2011,” he said.
The report of the committee stated that the national archives bill 2021, mine action bill 2022, petroleum act 2012 (amended 2022), petroleum management act 2013 (amended 2022), anti-corruption act 2009 (amended 2022), national election act 2012(amended 2022), national security act 2014 (amended 2021), public financial management and accountability act 2012 (amended 2022) are bills understudies by the cabinet.
Furthermore, the committee reported that chapter 2 of the agreement on security arrangement was fairly executed as 52,000 first batch of the unified forces graduated with exception of the arms embargo limiting graduation with sticks.
Moreover, the committee also re-counted that implementation of chapter 4 on resource management is on stance as the Ministry of finance battles to implement the provisions.
“The ministry of finance and planning identified 25 reform provisions in annexe 6 of the roadmap which are being implemented. The ministry established a committee of three persons to execute and implement the provisions,” it Lomuro said.
The committee further noted that efforts on the mobilization of funding for a permanent constitutional-making process are in progress by the government despite the challenges encountered.
The report viewed that the high-level committee has established a sub-committee of five persons to urgently plan and structure the process of disseminating the roadmap as well as the budget for its implementation.
“The committee is similarly in advance discussions with UNMISS and the UNDP on the operationalization of the pre-elections activities, elections and post-election activities as provided by the road map,” Dr. Lomuro disclosed.
He added that the implementation of the 24-Months extended period would be effective from the 22nd –Of February-2023 respectively with further arrangements that will be communicated through the concerned entity.
Lomuro also testified that the R-ARCSS has been as hectic as the unity government moved too slowly in implementing some of the provisions especially the unification of the forces, their graduation compounded with pressure from the international community.