By Gladys Kole
The Minister of Finance and Planning, Dier Tong, has led a top government delegation to Washington DC to attend the World Bank/ IMF Spring meeting slated for 11th – 16th of April this year.
The government delegation consists of the governor of the Central Bank of South Sudan, Jonny Ohisa, the Commissioner General for National Revenue Authority (NRA), Patrick Mugoya.
It also includes; the undersecretary for Planning at finance ministry, Angelo Deng Rehan and a technical team from the ministry, Bank of South Sudan and National Revenue Authority.
“The Spring meeting is expected to deliberate on global economic matters which could benefit South Sudan in acquiring funding to support critical infrastructure developments in the country,” partly read the statement seen by this outlet.
“The government delegation is also expected to hold series of sideline and bilateral meetings with heads of Bretton Woods Institutions and different stakeholders to lobby support and channel global funding towards South Sudan,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani called on the minister and his team to take advantage by setting up a clear roadmap for economic reforms.
Mr. Yakani said the government delegation should draw a path for the dwindling economy that is being undermined by persisting conflicts.
“We want to gain from the international financial facilities, but unfortunately, our challenge is that our agenda towards economic and financial reforms is not being straight forward; its being undermined by the political instability in the country,” he said.
Renowned activist Yakani, also wished that the leadership of World Bank and South Sudanese financial institutions would team up to advance financial reform agenda in the country.
According to him, this would help the country to benefit from international financial facilities which are running the economic sector or affairs worldwide.
“We want to ensure also that as South Sudanese, we improve our finance and economic practices in terms of embracing principle of transparency and accountability,” he noted.
He added that “so, I would like this opportunity to urge our minister of finance and the governor Central Bank and the leadership of World Bank to reach a consensus on a very clear framework for finance and economic reforms on our country South Sudan.”