New Cash Management System Installed For Accountability Due to rampant corruption cases in the Government of Southern Sudan, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has confirmed to have devised a new mechanism of a cash system to manage its finance utilization and monitor government spending. 31 March 2011 New Cash Management System Installed For Accountability H.E David Deng Athorbe, the GOSS Finance Minister in a press briefing, Juba [©Gurtong]
By Waakhe Simon Wudu. JUBA, 29th March, 2011 [Gurtong] – Speaking to the press in Juba on Thursday, H.E David Deng Athorbe, the Finance Minister said that, his Ministry had devised a New Cash Management System in which will help the Ministry have effective accountability on usage of the government’s finances. Athorbe said that the new cash system will ensures that, all the ministries submit accountability reports of expenditures to the Finance ministry after every three months. It also requires that, all contracts any ministry may want to grant to any contractor must be approved by the Ministry of Finance. The Minister also disclosed that, any payments above four thousand Sudanese pounds must be approved by the Ministry of Finance. “This is the GOSS commitment to curve down the vice. He reiterated commitment of the government to establish strong institutions to curve down corruption,” Athorbe said. The plan which had already been endorsed by the Government of Southern Sudan, GOSS, Council of Ministers early this month is to manage the GOSS cash in an appropriate manner, the Minister said. He said that as the region prepares to fully become independent by July this year, the need for proper accountability is paramount. He said that the mechanism will give a platform for the effective management of the 5.7 billion Sudanese pounds, this year’s approved financial budget. Athorbe pointed out that, Southern Sudan largely depends on oil as the main revenue covering 98% of the GOSS revenues. Adding that, customs among other sources could be one of the influential government incomes. However, it is mainly in the hands of the government of National Unity-GoNU, he said. He also said that corruption has limited taxation as many unknown persons have opened unauthorized taxation points in South Sudan. The new initiative comes following corruption claims by Members in the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, SSLA, amid this month during the passing of the 2011 budget. They called the closer of the South Sudan Anti Corruption Commission, SSACC, saying it is not doing enough to curve corruption in the region. The legislators also asked the Minister of Finance to present accountability reports on the implementation of the budget to the August House after every three months. President Salva Kiir last month announced his commitment to fight corruption after the attainment of full independence of South Sudan. Kiir admitted that corruption is rampant in his region but then outlined that, it’s because his government’s full time was committed to ensuring that, the right to self determination of the people of Southern Sudan was attained. Athorbe added that his Ministry in collaboration with the other GOSS Institutions is out to ensure that, elements especially in the government involved in corruption are tracked down. He affirmed that the South Sudan Director of Customs is under arrest following unclear reports in his work. His Ministry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have already established a committee to carry out investigations into his custom’s director conduct. Absence of strong institutions to fight against the culture of corruption in the government has being the main reason for the existence of the rampant corruption in the region. He outlined that; many civil servants can’t differentiate on how to use private resource and public. Posted in: Home, Governance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
