Oct 1, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — The Ministry of Finance and Planning (MoFP) and the National Revenue Authority launched the United Nations Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund Programme to strengthen national and subnational Public Financial Management (PFM) mechanisms in South Sudan on Wednesday.
The Joint Programme will help to increase budget allocations to social service sectors.
According to the Minister of Finance and Planning, H.E. Athian Diing Athian, it will help allocate greater resources to critical social services and ensuring their efficient, effective and transparent utilization.
“The Joint Programme will contribute to the realization of the South Sudan National Development Strategy (NDS) which calls for intensifying non-oil revenue mobilization, as well as to operationalizing institutional mechanism to promote citizen engagement and participation, as critical pathways to sustainable development,” said Minister of Finance and Planning H.E. Athian Diing Athian.
The minister said that the NDS aim is to ensure that 15% of South Sudan’s National Budget are allocated to social services.
According to a statement seen by nyamilepedia, Public budget allocations to social sectors remain low in South Sudan, with in 2019/20 only 1% of public spending going to health, 5% to education and 2% to social and humanitarian affairs.
The minister of gender, child and social Welfare, H.E Ayaa Benjamin added that more national budget is required for national social protection program.
“More national budget allocations are required for a national social protection programme as a central policy for COVID-19 to protect the most vulnerable and children and women of South Sudan, during recurring stresses and shocks,” he said.
The Hon. Undersecretary for education H.E. Kyok Abol Kyok added that there is need to prioritize education in the upcoming national budget in order to make quality education a reality for all children in South Sudan.
The Joint program is expected to run from 2020-2022. It will be supported by UN sustainable development Goals (SDG) Fund, UNDF and UNICEF.
It aims to ensure that by 2022, there will be a 2% increase in budget allocation to national priorities and social services.
“It is vital government institutions provide basic social services as reflection of the needs of its citizens.” said Mr. Alain Noudehou, UN Resident Coordinator.
