WBGs: MPs Reject National Finance Minister Budget Allocations
Ater Garang Ariath- Western-Bahr El Ghazal State Legislative Assembly members of parliament unanimously rejected the 2012-2013 budget figure features population based on 2008 disputed census and rejected by all South Sudanese including President Salva Kiir and his cabinets. The National Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Kosti Manibe Ngai in letters to the Ministers of Finances in the States, notified that block transfers have been changed quite considerably for 2012/13,adding that the general and assembly block transfers are cut by 10% from the 2011 approved budget, as austerity measure, The Minister further noted that the reduction will continues from the April June 2012 austerity budget approved by the national legislative assembly in early April 2012, as the counties development grant slightly increased from the level in the 2011 approved budget. The letter presented by the State Minister of Finance indicated that 60% of the block transfer is allocated equally and 40% on a per capita basis. All States see reduction compared to 2011, but the most populated States received smaller reductions and the smaller states see larger reductions. This is an important first step in the beginning the per capita equalization process of the States transfer, however large per capita differences remain demonstrating that the equalization process remains gradual, the Minister read it out. This change is in line with the recommendations of the intergovernmental transfers working group and the last governors forum, noted the letter. The assembly block transfers merged into the general block transfer, it is up to each State to decide the size of the allocation to be made to legislative assemblies, each state must ensure that the salaries emolument and gratuities of members of assemblies are fully budgeted for,Ngai emphasizes The general transfer of each state shown in annex B: of which Western Bahr El Ghazal State population according to Census 2008 is 333,431, General Block transfer SSP is 40,280,509, and County Development Grant SSP is 3,327,157, total 43,607,667 SSP and South Sudanese Per Capita 130.8 the document projected. The Minister went on saying that the County Development Grant is allocated on a per capita basis for each county, so that the grant reflects the population that services have to deliver to. This is another important step in per capita equalization process. The amount to be allocated to each county is show in annex D, in which three counties of Western-Bahr El Ghazal State namely Jur River population is 127,771 receives South Sudanese pound 1,274,969, Raga 54,340 receives SSP 542,234 and Wau 151,320, received SSP 1,509,954 total population 333,431 amount received 3,327,157 South Sudanese pounds Upon hearing presentation from the State Minister of Finance, Trade and Industry Morris Yel Akol, deliberating on budget bottom-line of 2012-2013 based on disputed 2008 Sudanese Census population of States, MPs rejected the budget and accuse the national Minister of being naļve about the newly born nation population base on states. It is baseless budgetary allocation base of fake Khartoum census that we totally rejected here in South Sudan, how comes the Minister of Finance in the national government to use this population to allocated the budget to States? MP representing Marial Bai Justin Makuach Majok asked. The population of Western-Bahr El Ghazal State is bigger than the population of Jonglei State because the killed themselves in hundred of thousands in ethnic fighting and it is senseless for Minister to allocated to this State, he challenge. He calls upon the Minister of national Ministry of Finance to apologies to all States especially Western Bahr El Ghazal States for using fake Census population in the budgetary allocation. MP, Mary Emilio Bafuka draw criticism against the national Minister of Finance for being shortfall to acknowledge that WBGS, feed thousand of South Sudanese from Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap, Lakes and Western-Equatoria in education, health services such as Wau teaching Hospital and its need consideration. She assures that the Minister of Finance must apologies otherwise he will resigns from his post because; his decision does not reflect the interest of South Sudanese people. Cirio Elias Unango Chairperson for Economic Finance and Rehabilitation charge the Minister of being bias and add his voice on the condemnation of the decision taken by Minister of using the Census which the national parliament has not endorsed to allocated budget. Samuel Arkangelo Duba urges the the government need to put into consideration States that more populated and blast the Census of 2008 pointed that it is political motivated and it is useless for the Minister to used it. The Speaker of Assembly Andrew Mayar Acho around the session and add his condemnations to what the assembly refer as illegal budgetary allocation, and they urges the Minister of Finance to write official rejection letter to the Minister of national Finance as possible.
