Opinion,
By Solomon Akot Mawien
Washington, DC.
October 23, 2021 – The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have highly commended the Minister of Finance & Planning, Hon. Athian Diing Athian and the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, Hon. Dier Tong Ngor for putting South Sudan’s economy on the path of recovery since their appointment to these positions.
Speaking during the just concluded annual meeting of the boards of Governors of the World Bank and IMF and which was attended by Ministers of Finance & Development as well as Governors of Central Bank in Washington DC, a senior World Bank Executive said, “we congratulate and commend the Minister of Finance from South Sudan, Hon. Athian Diing and his colleague the Governor of South Sudan for the job well done in managing South Sudan which was at the brink of collapse”.
He added that even though there is a lot of work to be done to ensure that South Sudan is back to full economic recovery, the officials have done a “tremendous job as World Bank and IMF, we are pleased with their work”.
He called on President Salva Kiir Mayardit to keep such competent, committed and loyal and patriotic individuals in his government as they will ensure that the President will succeed in providing basic services to the citizens of his country.
Another senior economist with the World Bank in South Sudan who could not be named as he is not allowed to speak to the media said the World Bank and IMF have expressed “huge confidence in the performance of the Minister of Finance & Planning, Athian Diing Athian”. “The Finance Minister has done well. Together with the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, he has stabilized exchange rates, build foreign currency reserves and put a stop to deficit financing through issuance of overdraft. These measures have seen steady improvement of the economy in the country”, he added.
He said that despite being appointed at the most difficult period due to COVID-19 Pandemic and the plummeting crude oil prices, the Minister of Finance has also steered the country in the right direction through honest and transparent engagement with international development partners such as the World Bank and IMF. “We can now see that the international development partners have shown renewed confidence in the Government of South Sudan through various engagements. As a result of this confidence, the World Bank and IMF have advanced loans running into millions of US Dollars to South Sudan”.
A prominent Civil Society activist also added that the Minister of Finance, Athian Diing Athian deserves appreciation and recognition for the good work he has done for the Government of South Sudan under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayadit. “South Sudan was going to lose billions of US dollars through a fraudulent Sovereign Guarantee that was awarded to some bogus businessmen in South Sudan. It was through the advice of the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan that the Sovereign Guarantee was cancelled by the President. We thank President Salva Kiir Mayardit for this bold step but we must also thank the Minister of Finance and Bank of South Sudan for the good job”.
He added that, “I think President Salva Kiir Mayardit has now found the right people to work with. He has always been complaining that he doesn’t have people who know how to work but how to eat. The situation is different with the Minister of Finance as he has demonstrated his commitment and loyalty to the President. If President Salva Kiir wants to succeed or even win in the upcoming elections, he needs individuals like Athian Diing to help him deliver basic services to the people of South Sudan ”.
Since his appointment as Minister of Finance, Athian Diing Athian has established the Public Financial Management Oversight Committee with a reform strategy which focuses on debt sustainability, economic growth and strengthening budget and cash management systems with focus on peace-building and social spending. These reforms also focus on transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
The Minister of Finance & Planning, Hon. Athian Diing Athian and Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, Dier Tong Ngor attended the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and IMF in Washington, DC from 11-17 October 2021. The annual meeting brings together central bank governors, the Minister of Finance and Development, private sector executives, members of civil society organizations and academics to discuss world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development and aid effectiveness.
Solomon Akot Mawien is an Author and Commentator on current Social, Economic and Political Issues on South Sudan. He can be reached on skmawien@gmail.com.
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