By Tapeng Michael Ohure
South Sudan’s fiscal year for 2021/2022 is around the corner, but seven months late.
Last week, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning presented a 287.04 billion South Sudanese Pounds before the lawmakers.
The country is part of the East African Community which fiscal year runs from July to June.
“The lifespan of the 2021/2022 budget is only 5 months and so, we are not going to take long for this budget,” John Agany, Head of the Information Committee at the national parliament told Juba Echo by phone.
“For this 2021/2022 budget, it will take about 21 days, though likely it will be extended if the situation will not be adjusted.”
The country is expected to use the budget in just the five months.
Of the estimates, 84.1 billion SSP, 29.3 percent of the budget is proposed to go to wages and salaries, SSP 82.9 billion which represents 28.9 percent for use of goods and services, SSP 46.5 billion which represents 16.2 percent is earmarked for other capital expenditures while SSP 15.0 billion which represents 5.2 percent of the budget has been earmarked to go towards peace implementation and SSP 6.4 billion which represents 2.2 percent is for contingency for unforeseen circumstances.
Other proposed expenditures by chapter are transfers to states and other international obligations at SSP 51.9 billion which represents 18.1 percent of the budget, and other expenditures of SSP 231.7 million which represent 0.1 percent of the budget respectively.
Agany said after the budget is passed the country will immediately embark on preparations of the 2022/2023 fiscal year budget which will be available by May.
“And then in the first week of July we will begin to have a new budget of the year,” he said.
