By Bosco Bush
South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) has passed Procurement and Disposal of Assets Regulations, 2024, in a move aimed at addressing malpractices and corruption in government asset management.
The document was first presented to the parliament by former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Awow Daniel, and was subsequently referred to the Specialized Committees on Finance and Economic Planning, Public Accounts, and Legislation and Justice for further deliberations and legislation.
After the regulations were passed during Monday’s parliamentary session, TNLA Spokesperson Hon. Oliver Mori highlighted the significance of this new legal framework.
Mori noted that these Regulations would fighting malpractices and corruption that are happening in some government institutions procuring or disposing of public assets illegally in the interest of few individuals.
“This is actually preventing the malpractices and the corruption which were taking place in most government institutions, where directorates or ministries could decide alone without any regulation to dispose of any of asset in that ministry or a commission or an institution.”
“Also in regards to the procurement whether being vehicles or stationaries or anything to be procured for public use by the government wasn’t going in accordance with the law,” he added.
“So, now these regulations have tied up the hands of any government institution or commission that it will have to follow these regulations strictly when they are purchasing or when they are disposing of certain assets being the movable or fixed assets.”
“It will now be done by committees or bodies which are being instituted in these regulations. This is sealing off malpractices or corruption,” Mori stated.
The Procurement and Disposal of Assets regulations provides for the constitution of committee/body whose duty is to oversee and undertake the procurement as well as disposal of public assets in accordance with the law.
Unlike in the past where every government institution forms its own committees to process procurements and disposals of assets.
Mori stressed that all government institutions shall adhere to these Regulations or face the law in case of any disloyalty to it.