Sep 25, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — The newly appointed Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Athian Diing Athian, met the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny today in his office in the capital, Juba.
“The newly appointed and sworn in Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Athian Diing Athian, paid a courtesy call to His Excellency the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, today.” Dr. Machar’s office said.
Speaking to the media after meeting the First Vice President, Hon. Athian Diing Athian, who sounds incompetent, said the purpose of his courtesy call was to introduce himself and to explain to the First Vice President what his mandates are and what he is supposed to be doing.
“Today I made uh a courtesy visit uh to the office of the First Vice President to introduce myself after having been sworn in as the new uh ministry, minister, for the minister of finance and planing uh ” Hon. Athian Diing Athian spoke to media after meeting the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar.
“I met His Excellency the First Vice President. We had a good chat uh I introduce myself uh to explain to him uh my mandates and what I’m supposed to be doing and look forward to working with him” Hon. Athian continued.
Hon. Athian barely came to office less than 2 weeks ago with hope that he will restore the dying economy.
On the day he was sworn in, President Salva Kiir gave him a strict mandate and that is to succeed in his assignment.
“I encourages you to double your efforts to succeed in your assignment.” President Kiir told the new Minister of Finance.
To succeed, president Kiir instructured him to find better mechanisms to address the demands of the people in the Ministry of Finance.
“What you need to do is to find a better mechanism to address demands of the people in the Ministry of Finance,” Kiir continued.
While trying to groom-up the new Minister, president Kiir also advised him to remember to tax everyone at the borders without exemptions.
“Now we know the oil doesn’t pay much, but if the non-oil revenues are collected in good faith by the tax collectors, the government would have enough revenues in the financial system. So, I inu urges you to put a limit on tax exemptions because there are some items that should not be exempted from tax,” concluded the South Sudanese head of state.
