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Fiscal, Financial Allocation Monitoring Bill subjected to public hearing

By William Madouk

 

A long-awaited Fiscal and Financial Allocation Monitoring Commission bill, 2023 has been subjected to public hearing yesterday in Juba.

The Bill provides for the establishment of an independent commission to ensure transparency in regard to the allocation of nationally collected funds to states and counties in South Sudan.

The bill, which was drafted in accordance with Art 4.11.2 of the 2018 peace deal would seal the leakages of financial mismanagement, and oversee the allocated budget to ten states and administrative areas.

According to the chairperson of the committee on Finance and Economic Planning, Changkuoth Bichiock, “the reason for this sitting is to discuss and to hear from the public their views and comment on the new bill that is tabled to the parliament and now the bill is with the committees.”

In attendance at the public debate were civil society activists, academia, union of doctors, lawyers, persons living with disabilities, media and state ministers of finances just to mention but a few.

Stakeholders at the public hearing said the Fiscal and Financial Allocation Monitoring Commission must be empowered to combat corruption and monitor the use and utilization of the allocated budget.

They also advised that the chairperson of the commission and members are to be contested publicly and vetted by the parliament rather than being appointed by the President to safeguard autonomy.

Mr. Peter Garang, who works for the network for AIDS/ health services organization, said: “so, the question is how independent will this commission be? when the composition of the board comprises of the appointees of the government such state ministers and administrative areas, undersecretaries.”

“Appointment of Executive Director, as the civil society we are calling for this position to be competitive position not to be appointed position by the chair, so South Sudanese who are capable should be subjected to compete,” he added.

Besides, Mr. Garang called for the increment of the civil society representation from the various fields to be three in number rather than economists alone.

While, Ter Manyang, the Executive Director of the Centre for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) said “we said why the report must be submitted to the President. the report is supposed to be submitted to the parliament first before the President.”

Mr Malual Akol, the project coordinator for Institute of Social Policy and Studies, noted that “the appointment of the chairperson for this commission should have been done through vetting processes, should be vetted by the parliament.”

While presenting a benchmarking study tour to Kenya, the deputy chair of the committee on economics, Mrs. Susan Thomas suggested that South Sudan should adopt a system of NRA being a sole tax collector institution.

“The committee strongly recommends to the August House that, South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) be the ONLY one collecting ALL taxes and non-tax on behalf of subnational (states, administrative, counties and city council),” said Mrs Thomas.

“And NRA remits the agreed share to them,” she added.

This stimulated a hotted debate as some state ministers of finance refused and other sections in favor of idea.

However, the chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Economic Planning, Changkuoth Bichiock noted that all the views shared will be revisited by the committee and be incorporated into the bill.

 

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