The Transitional National Legislative Assembly will publicly hear the draft national budget for 2024/2025 on October 30, 2024.
The one-day public hearing, announced by Hon. Michael Ayuen, chairperson of the Standing Specialized Committee on Finance and Planning, will let the public participate in the budget process.
By means of this involvement, the people will be able to express their ideas on the priorities of the government.
"Public hearing is a one-day exercise where we will take the views from the public, capture them, then we report to the house for the second reading stage, and thereafter, we can move on,” Ayuen stated.
The committee extends an invitation to the public to participate in the budget, which aims to tackle issues such as health, agricultural production, food security, road network infrastructure, and other developmental projects for the public's benefit.
The national parliament has scheduled the public hearing for the 30th of October at the parliament's new hall, delaying the second reading of the draft budget until the first week of November. This delay is due to Minister Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater, being present in Washington, D.C., for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Group Annual Meetings.
Hon. Oliver Mori Benjamin, spokesperson for the national parliament, told The Radio Community on Monday that the budget would have been tabled for second reading before the end of October if the minister had been in the country.
"If the minister was around, it could have been tabled this week, but because of the absence of the minister, it will be tabled early next month when the minister returns to the country,” said Mori.
The draft budget, totaling 4.2 trillion South Sudanese pounds, was approved by the cabinet in August and presented to parliament by the finance minister in September.
The speaker sent it to several parliamentary committees, led by the Specialized Committee on Economy and Planning, for scrutiny, with a requirement to report back within 21 days.
The budget prioritizes peace implementation, clearing salary arrears for civil servants, and boosting the agriculture and mining sectors to reduce reliance on oil.
South Sudan lags behind other East African Community (EAC) countries, which presented their budgets in June due to administrative challenges.