A civil society activist has welcomed the work of South Sudan’s ministerial high-level committee on economic reform but says political will is needed to turn its recommendations into meaningful change.
Edmond Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said his organization has been monitoring the committee’s work since its formation and is encouraged by its calls for changes in public finance management.
He added that the country has enough revenue potential to fund public services, including the regular payment of civil servants’ salaries, if revenues are collected and managed transparently.
“As a civil society, we are aware that South Sudan is not broke,” Yakani said.
He attributed the country’s financial difficulties to what he described as widespread corruption, malpractice and a lack of transparency in the collection and remittance of public revenue, particularly non-oil revenue.
According to Yakani, CEPO supports the committee’s message that “business should not be as usual,” but warned that similar reform initiatives in the past have struggled because their recommendations were not fully implemented.
He said the government must go beyond statements and warnings against corruption and demonstrate its commitment through concrete action.
“We need to see practically the call for transparency and accountability translated into action,” he said.
Yakani urged the country’s leadership to give the ministerial committee the political support and commitment needed to implement its recommendations, saying success will depend on whether the government follows through on the reforms.
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