South Sudan’s Parliament Suspends the 75 Government Officials Alleged to Have Stolen Public Money

This followed a majority vote by members of parliament who call for suspension of individuals identified by the president to have stolen public money.Some MPs and ministers including the ministers of parliamentary affairs and finance rejected the decisions saying it is interfering with the president’s initiative to fight corruption.On Tuesday last week, President Salva Kiir sent out letters to 75 government officials alleged to have stolen public funds to return the money and be granted amnesty.The speaker James Wani Igga read out the decision of the House.

[Wani Igga]: “The house has voted for motion number two which is namely as follows, first; terminating the debate and to fully support and pass the statement of the president and three; the seventy five or more names as came in the president statement are suspended until found guilty or acquitted.”

Two former ministers, Gonu Minister of Oil, Lual Achuek and minster of public service Awut Deng declared before the house that they received the president’s letters.

[Lual Achuek]: “I have declared today in the assembly that I received yesterday a letter from the office of the president included in the seventy five. So I told the assembly that I received the letter I want them to act. I will know how to clear my name. First of all I would appeal to the remaining seventy three to come public. As far as some of them know, I am innocent but I now want to fight corruption.”

[Rose Awut]: “Already it is a character assassination of individuals, so if your name is there and you have not stolen the money what is the next step for that individual. So I think this is for me a good step forward because the president has been talking about corruption and he has taken a bold decision for our country. That money if it is outside has to come back for the people of South Sudan because it belongs to people of South Sudan. I am giving my accounts publicly to everybody, to every citizen in South Sudan to check if I have taken anything apart from my emoluments, salaries and apart from what I received legally not illegally.”

Honorable Awut said she would publicize the detail of her accounts in the media.

12 June 2012-(Juba) -The President says the government will cut down government monthly spending to ensure smooth running of government operations and provision of services to citizens.

Addressing the assembly on Monday President Salva Kiir Mayardit said the 2012/2013 austerity budget will cut down monthly spending up to 500 million South Sudanese Pounds.

Kiir said the government will focus on providing basic needs to its citizens.

[Salva Kiir]: “We fully support these cuts and necessary measures to ensure continued government operations of the republic. In doing so we must prioritize getting food medicines and fuel to our communities. The ministry of agriculture will deliver 520 tons of seeds to farmers; that is sorghum, maize, soy beans and vegetables. We must embark on food self-sufficiency by 2014. To revitalize agriculture, the government will launch an agriculture investment fund in the multitude of 5 Billion South Sudanese Pounds, something like over one billion USD over the next five years.

Kiir added said that the ministry of commerce, industry and investment together with the ministry of finance will import food in the coming weeks to reduce the current high prices in the market.

He said the government is urgently working with donors to get emergency food aid to states.

On health matters, Kiir said the ministry of health will in July take over the responsibility of distributing medicine and medical supplies from the Multi-donor Trust Fund.

He said currently 36 million USD worth of medicines and hospital supplies are being deployed to more than one thousand clinics across South Sudan.