The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), on Thursday handed over information and communication technology (ICT) equipment to key South Sudanese institutions as part of efforts to strengthen economic governance and evidence-based policymaking.
The equipment was delivered to the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the Finance and Planning Committee of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), and the Bank of South Sudan under the Institutional Support Project for Strengthening Economic Governance in South Sudan (STEG-SS), a programme jointly financed by AfDB and UNDP.
Under the initiative, UNDP provided 30 laptops to the parliamentary Finance and Planning Committee and the Parliamentary Research Centre, 22 laptops to the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and 20 laptops to the Bank of South Sudan.
The support is intended to improve the capacity of the institutions to generate, analyse and manage data for economic planning, policymaking, research and oversight functions.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Juba, UNDP Senior Economic Advisor Dr. Ligane Sene said the assistance was aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and improving economic governance.
“This support is not simply about providing equipment; it is an investment in stronger institutions, better data systems, and more effective decision-making,” Sene said.
The STEG-SS project seeks to promote a data-driven approach to economic governance by strengthening statistical systems, enhancing parliamentary oversight and accountability, and supporting public investment and development planning.
According to UNDP, the equipment will help parliament improve budget analysis, oversight and access to policy information, while supporting the Ministry of Finance in development planning, economic policy analysis and monitoring reforms. At the central bank, the equipment will be used to strengthen research, statistics and economic forecasting functions.
John Garang Awan, Director General for Sectoral Planning at the Ministry of Finance and Planning, welcomed the support and said the ministry remained committed to working with UNDP.
Charles Abugo, who received the equipment on behalf of the Bank of South Sudan, thanked UNDP for the assistance, while parliamentary Finance and Planning Committee member Nyiboul Ajong’o highlighted the importance of capacity building and human capital development.
UNDP said it would continue supporting the government in building accountable and resilient institutions capable of delivering national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The agency also thanked AfDB and other development partners for supporting economic governance reforms in South Sudan.
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