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Elisabeth Janaina
RSS to participate in 3rd Africa-Arab Summit in Kuwait City
KUWAIT CITY, 15 November 2013 - The Kuwait City, the Capital of Kuwait will on 19th – 20th Nov. 2013, host the third Africa- Arab summit under the theme “Partners in Development and investment” in which the Republic of South Sudan is expected to participate.
President of the Republic H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit is scheduled to attend. The country's advance team comprising of four National Ministers [Minister of Petroleum, Minister of Health, Minister of Telecommunication and Postal Services and Minister of Roads and Bridges] among other senior government officials arrived in the Kuwait capital on Thursday.
Kuwait city to hold the African-Arab summit
[Photo: thomas Keneth]
The delegation is headed by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Ambassador Charles Manyang. Upon arrival, the South
Sudan delegation took part in the African-Arab ministerial summit
meeting whose recommendations will be submitted to the summit.
Development and investment, food Security and trade were some of the key talking points in the meeting.
Reported by Thomas Kenneth in Kuwait City
South Sudan launches $1.1billion consolidated humanitarian appeal for 2014-16
JUBA, 16 November 2013 (NASS) - The government together with the aid agencies on Thursday launched the consolidated humanitarian appeal for 2014-16, unveiling an innovative new direction for humanitarian action in South Sudan.
This three-year appeal seeks 1.1 billion US dollars to meet the needs
of most vulnerable 3.1 million people across the country in 2014. This
comes to some 355 dollars per person targeted to receive assistance
including emergency health, food and nutrition support. While the core
humanitarian action remains to save lives in emergencies, two pillars of
action will enhance the impact of emergency relief in the next three
years.
Presentatives
of the humanitarian organizations, Government officials and civil
society organizations during the launch of the appeal
[Photo: Martin Jada]
Foreign Affairs minister Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the
consolidated appeal falls under government new deal concept, which is
geared towards addressing millennium development goals.
Though South Sudan remains one of the poorest countries in the world,
with one of the largest humanitarian operations globally, the 2014-16
consolidated appeal highlights improvement on several fronts in 2013.
Overall needs reduced for the first time in 2011, the arrival of
Sudanese refugees slowed and the arrival of South Sudanese from Khartoum
decreased.
According to UN OCHA food security for many South Sudanese improved although the number of people are severely food insecure and remain worryingly.
In a separate news, the government has signed with the United kingdom
memorandum of understanding allowing the repatriation of South Sudanese
who have been serving prison sentences in the United kingdom under
various charges.
In a press
statement after signing the memo, the UK’s Foreign Affairs
Undersecretary for African Affairs, Mark Simmonds said this memo will
also benefit the country in terms of economy growth and social
development. Dr. Benjamin said the government is committed to the
memorandum and will respect the relations with the United Kingdom.
Reported by Martin Jada Gabriel, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS)
Information minister urges traders to desist from hiking prices
JUBA, 14 November 2013 (NASS) – Information minister Hon. Micheal Makuei Lueth has called on traders to desist from hiking prices in the market.
Following the Monday’s decision by the central bank of South Sudan to
devalue the country’s currency against all foreign currencies, most
traders acting under speculation, moved to hike prices of almost all
essential commodities. The bank, under directions by the national
parliament on Wednesday revoked the decision.
Hon. Makuei briefing the delegation from Abyei at the ministry of Information headquarters
[Photo: Francis Oliver]
Hon. Makuei on Thursday was speaking to a delegation from Abyei Area
headed Dr. Chol Deng Alak when he made the remarks on Thursday.
Minister Makuei, who is also a government spokespersons said the
national parliament yesterday rejected the exchange reform policy of the
central bank and has summoned the Governor of the bank Kornelio Koryom
Manyik and the national minister of Finance Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni to
appear before the law makers on Monday next week to explain their
decision.
Ambassador Marie and Hon. Makuei during the meeting
[Photo: Francis Oliver]
In another news development, the minister held a meeting with the
Norwegian ambassador to South Sudan Mrs. Hanne Marie on Wednesday where
they discussed matters of bileteral relations. Mrs Marie said a
support from the Norwegian Government to help South Sudan preserve its
history through establishment of modern facility for its Archives’ would
be availed early next year.
Hon Makuei recommended the support of the Norwegian government to the
nation country especially its effort in promoting the development of
media in the country.
Reported by Francis Oliver, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS)
Central Bank revokes devaluation of South Sudan Pounds
JUBA, 13 November 2013 – The central bank of South Sudan has revoked a decision it had taken on Monday to devalue the local currency (South Sudan Pounds) following summon by the country’s parliament.
The Governor of the central bank Kornelio Koryom Manyik on Monday
issued a statement to announce exchange reforms. The decision (exchange
reform) according to him, was reached “to unity the official and
parallel exchange rates”, a measure he said would ensure price
stability. The official rate (central bank exchange rate) of the South
Sudanese pounds stood at 4.5 against one United States Dollar from 05pm
local times as of Monday when the decision to effect.
With most goods imported, the announcement came as a shock to most people throughout the country. Main motorists were seen lining up in petrol stations to refill their tanks in anticipation. Food prices also shotup.
Following the decision, the South Sudan National Parliament on Tuesday
summoned the Governor and Finance minister Hon. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni to
explain their decision and its subsequent impact on the economy besides a
written response. Finance minister Hon Sabuni was reported out of the
country on an official duty.
MPs
before the session, As representatives of the people, they demanded for
an evidence based explaination on the dicision to carryout exchange
reforms
[Photo: Matata Safi]
Appearing before the parliament on Wednesday morning, Governor Manyik
pleaded for more time to prepare a the report on the banks decision as
requested by the parliament. He said he received the summon letter late
Tuesday which could not give enough time to prepare his report.
While citing the absence of the minister of Finance, Manyik said, since
the reforms announced are a package comprising of monitory policies
under the central bank and fiscal policies which are under the ministry
of finance, he underscored the presence of the minister in reporting to
the demands of the law makers.
“As we have listened to the initial statements of the Governor, the
delay for not having formulated a full written response to this August
house is not justified, for the simple reason that his declaration on
November 11, made several children and mothers go hungry…….. They could
not afford buying food yester night”, said Hon. Paul Mayom Akech
representing constituency No. 5 Rumbek East of Lake State.
Chanting. …revoke now, now now……., the MPs unanimously agreed to a
motion moved by Ann Lino Abyei, a member of SPLM party, on women list
representing Duku country of Jongolei that, the debate be terminated and
that under the direction of the assembly, the Governor of the central
bank immediately revoke the decision. Moreso, that the assembly directs
the Governor and the minister of finance to report to the August house
on Monday 18, November.
“Right
Hon. Speaker, members of the August house, I have listened and followed
very closely the decision of the house…… I have respected it, this is
the will of the people, so we cannot do otherwise”, the Governor of the
Bank said. He said the “bank shall immediately revoke the decision”.
The sitting number 51/2013 was chair by the Deputy Speaker Mark Nyipuoc and attended by 207 legislators.
Reported by Matata Safi
"We need media that promotes culture of tolerance and co-existence", deputy information minister
JUBA, 12 November 2013 – After what was once African’s longest civil war, the two countries of Sudan and South Sudan need a responsible media that promotes the culture of tolerance and peacefully co-existence, the deputy information minister has said.
Hon Racheal Nyadak Paul said the media [Sudanese and South Sudanese] should dialogue in order to report in a manner that narrows the differences that still exist between the two Sudans.
“We all know we have come a long way, the two countries have had enough……..and we are all aware of the past. I believe it is the wish of every Sudanese and South Sudanese to see that the people of the two countries live in peace, and you as the media have an important role to play”, she said.
Hon. Nyadak giving her remarks at the opening of the media dialogue
[Photo: Matata Safi]
While underscoring the importance of media, she said media too can be destructive. “Responsible reporting in Juba and Khartoum will encourage the two Governments to consolidate what they have achieved and move forward. But when you [both] distort the message, it will spoil every success that we have made. media is an important instrument which should be governed by laws”, she said.
A media that has no ethics is a media that has no principles, she added. Hon. Nyadak made the comments on Monday while opening a four-day media dialogue at Paradise Hotel in Juba. The dialogue organized by the Deutsche Welle (DW) Akademie drew media stakeholders from both Sudan and South Sudan.
She urged media to apply their professional ethic while reporting, while emphasizing that at the end of the day, regardless of the where journalists belong; their major objective is to promote peace and prosperity.
Participants at the media dialogue
[Photo: Matata Safi]
In September last year, media practitioners from the two countries gathered in Berlin in Germany to discuss the issues that tend to divide the two countries with a view of bring better understanding and cooperation.
Maria Frauenrath, Media training and management consultant with the Germany’s DW said, the Juba media dialogue is a follow up of the Berlin dialogue. Germany, like what used to the Sudan, has the same history with Sudan and South Sudan; history of the two major world wars.
Some times people still refer to the world war despite the many years that have past, she noted. Under a post conflict situation, she said it is important for the media to dialogue and have understandings of the issues at hand. It is always go to have direct contact with the other side, she said.
Reading the September 2012 Berlin Declaration, Frauenrath said the journalists agreed to launch a comprehensive media dialogue to enhance positive reporting, they agreed to work towards creating a common media agenda to enable journalists to shoulder their responsibility in promoting peace and development in both countries.
Furthermore, she said the group called for the adaptation of media code of ethics to address professionalism, hatred and inflammatory language among others, called for journalists to focus on social, economic, cultural issues rather than the political matters.
Prejudices and discrimination, reporting in a crisis region, addressing the crisis between Sudan and South Sudan by positive reporting are some of the key topics the media dialogue seeks to address.
Reported by Matata Safi
Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the upgrading of Nadapal – Juba road
JUBA, 11 November 2013 - The Government of the Republic of South Sudan with assistance from Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) intends to upgrade a 341.2km Nadapal Juba road from gravel to paved (bitumen) standard. This road provides transport connectivity between the capital town of South Sudan (Juba) and various County headquarters (Torit, Budi and Kapoeta) in Eastern and Central Equatoria States.
In view of the potential destruction of properties (buildings and other
structures) and livelihoods (loss of sources of income), a Resettlement
Action Plan (RAP) has been prepared to provide a comprehensive
framework and procedures that the road project is to follow in the
acquisition of land and compensation for destroyed properties and loss
of livelihood. The RAP has been prepared in accordance with the
guidelines and requirement of both the Government of the Republic of
South Sudan (GRSS) and the World Bank (WB).
The preparation of this Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) is intended to provide details on procedures of land acquisition, compensation and resettlement of affected persons. It has been prepared based on the findings of resettlement impact assessment done during the month of July 2010 and April 2013, the latter of which is determined as the cut-off date by the MTRB. The assessment identified the impact on property and income sources of affected persons and document the losses therein (Loss of land, houses, trees etc) within the Right of Way (ROW) of the road upgrading project.
Juba Human Resource Training Centre to be transformed into a management development institute
JUBA, 9 November 2013 - The Human Resource Training Centre at Jebel on the Juba-Yei road will soon be transformed into the South Sudan Management Development Institute.
This was one of the recommendations of a draft strategic plan that was prepared during a five-day workshop convened at the centre by the national Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development.
Speaking when he officially closed the workshop, Mr Deng Chuol Malang, an Adviser to the Minister for Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development said the draft five-year strategic plan when fully implemented would transform the institution into a centre of excellence for training public servants in South Sudan. Deng Chuol said the Ministry would prepare appropriate legislation to accompany the draft when it is presented to the Council of Ministers for approval.
The Adviser said the centre which was built with funding from the African Development Bank was currently not operating to its full capacity due to lack of human, financial and material resources, adding that the proposed plan was meant to address these challenges.
In his remarks, Mr Wilberforce Turyasingura of the Uganda Management Institute who facilitated the workshop, said some of the key priority areas addressed in the draft strategic plan include leadership and management, human and financial resources, infrastructure development, and capacity building.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mr Ephraim Wani Peter said a fully functional South Sudan Management Development Institute would save the government millions of dollars spent in training civil servants abroad.
The workshop which drew participants from government ministries, commissions and the University of Juba was organised by the Pretoria-based Public Administration, Leadership and Management Academy with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency.
Reported by Justin Jada and Simon Owaka
121 Civil servants acquires skills in public financial management and good governance
JUBA, 9 November 2013 - The African Capacity Building Foundation through the South Sudan Capacity Building Project has so far trained 121 senior civil servants in public financial management, good governance, budget preparation, auditing and accounts.
Mr Jacinto Lee, a national consultant at the Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development, further said the training was aimed at equipping civil servants at the national level with professional skills in financial management.
Mr Lee who was closing a five-day training workshop in fiduciary management for 65 top civil servants at a Juba hotel said the government was keen on locally conducted training programmes because practically it was not feasible to train all civil servants abroad.
“We all know that it is not practical for the government to afford training of all civil servants overseas. Please keep up the spirit as this in-country customised training is one of the cost-effective ways of meeting the challenge of training needs in government institutions,” he said.
The workshop was facilitated by the Galilee Management Institute which is based in Israel. Speaking at the workshop, the Undersecretary for Public Service and Human Resource Development, Madam Angeth Acol de Dut, said the government was keen on training all civil servants including director generals, undersecretaries and ministers to enable them perform their duties more efficiently.
“Some of the DGs here might have benefited from a training that we conducted through the Kenya-South Sudan Technical Assistance programme where we sent them to Nairobi for three weeks then followed by one week of attachment in the respective institutions in the Government of Kenya,” said the Undersecretary.
Madam Angeth said the government would appraise the performance of its workers especially on whether training they underwent helped improve service delivery. “Through a training tracker that we have implemented in our Ministry, we want to be able to assess who went for what training, what training they have benefited from, and whether it has really made a difference in the way they do their work,” she said.
The South Sudan Capacity Building Project Coordinator, Mr Peter Juma, disclosed that women constituted 30 per cent of the total number of trainees, adding that 75 per cent of the trainees were officers in the top management of government ministries, commissions and chambers. Mr Juma said the training would go a long way in building the capacity of the trainees in corporate governance, strategic planning, policy making and public finance.
Madam Ayen Alier of the Bank of South Sudan who attended the workshop said the training would help foster change for the better in management of public finances in the country.
The African Capacity Building Foundation, which was established in 1991 and has its headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe works to provide a holistic approach towards capacity building in Africa.
Reported by Justin Jada and Simon Owaka
More negotiations on RSS EAC membership to commence in March 2014, Sabuni
ARUSHA -TANZANIA, 9 November 2013 (NASS) – Major negotiations into South Sudan’s application to join the East African Country (EAC) are set to begin in March next year, after a high level delegation from the country completed phase one (assessment) of the negotiation process.
More negotiations will start in March thereafter to be followed by a treaty that shall determine South Sudan’s membership status, South Sudan’s minister of Finance and head of the delegation Hon. Aggrey Tissa Sabuni said on Thursday.
The delegation comprising of ministers, members from national assembly and senior government technocrats made a number of presentations in the EAC headquarter in Arusha, Hon Sabuni said.
Three months after declaration of the country’s independence, South Sudan applied to join the regional economic bloc. The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental Organization comprising five countries namely Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi of the Great lakes region.
South Sudan's delegation and officials from the EAC
[Photo: Martin Jada)
Originally founded in 1967, it collapsed in 1977, and was revived again on 7 July 2005. In 2008, after negotiations with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the EAC agreed to an expanded free trade area including the member states of all three.
The secretary general for the east African fast growing economic bloc the EAC, Dr. Richard Sezibera said the this vibrant body is ready to start negotiations with the South.
Reported by Martin Jada Gabriel, News Agency of Sudan Sudan (NASS)
Coordination is vital in promoting agro production in the country, state minister of agriculture
JUBA, 07 November 2013 – For South Sudan to improve on its agro production and boost food security, there is need for inclusive cooperation and coordination between the national Government and the states Governments, Central Equatoria state minister of agriculture and forestry has said.
Hon. Jacob Kwajie said on Monday was speaking in a meeting with the
national minister of Agriculture Hon. Beda Machar when he made the
call. “In the last few years, there has been lack of coordination
between the national government and particularly my state on issues
pertaining agriculture”, he said.
He also called on the development partners in the country to support agricultural projects in the states in order to boost food production. Another state minister for Animal Resources and Fisheries Hon Dr. Ghada James Kila urged the citizens to engage in farming if they are to turn away from poverty.
Hon: Machar Deng said the national ministry of Agriculture is
committed to working with the ten states governments particularly in the
area of promoting agriculture. He said the government has robust
programs to transform agriculture.
Reported by Abdulrazig Juma Abdall
Capacity building, centre for all development initiatives, Labour Adviser
JUBA, 04 October 2013 - The government has embarked on the preparation of a five-year strategic plan for the Human Resource Training Centre (HRTC) at Jebel on the Juba-Yei road.
Speaking
while officially opening a five-day strategic planning workshop at the
centre, Mr John Itorong, an Adviser in the Ministry of Labour, Public
Service and Human Resource Development (MoLPS&HRD) said capacity
building is at the centre of all development initiatives.
Mr Itorong said the Ministry’s long term plan is to transform the HRTC
into a fully-fledged South Sudan Management Development Institute,
adding that the strategic plan was meant to provide a roadmap for the
transformation.
Mr Itorong said
the plan would also act as a framework for guiding sustainable
operationalisation of the centre into an institute for training civil
servants on best practices in public administration and management.
“Efforts to reform and modernize the public service will be in vain
unless the MoLPS&HRD is sufficiently prepared to provide the much
needed leadership in meeting the ever emerging challenges posed by the
demands of phenomenal changes in public administration and management
worldwide,” said the Adviser, adding that the entire public service
needs to be more responsive to citizens who were becoming more informed
about their political, social and economic rights, and obligations.
“This kind of approach requires very clear understanding of the new
challenges and a robust roadmap of deliberate and systematic actions or
solutions supported by professionally competent, highly disciplined,
committed and motivated civil servants at both national and state
levels,” he said.
Addressing
the workshop, Labour Undersecretary Madam Hellen Achiro Lotara said the
centre was not operating to its full capacity due to various challenges.
Madam Hellen urged the participants to ensure they acquire strategic
planning skills from the workshop.
The workshop which has drawn participants from government ministries,
commissions and the University of Juba has been organised by the
Pretoria-based Public Administration, Leadership and Management
institute with funding from the Canadian International Development
Agency.
Reported by Justin Jada and Simon Owaka
Elisabeth Janaina
Ministers may soon be required to sign performance contracts, VP Igga
JUBA, 22 November 2013 - The government has set in motion plans to transform the civil service as part of measures to improve the delivery of public services. Vice President James Wani Igga said the Council of Ministers had agreed to adopt performance management throughout the government whereby Ministers will be required to sign one-year performance contracts based on projects derived from the mandates of their respective ministries.
The VP said Ministers would sign performance contracts on behalf of
their ministries; undersecretaries would sign contracts with Ministers;
Director Generals with Undersecretaries, and; staff with their
supervisors all the way down to junior officers in the ministries. He
said there would be an evaluation of contracts on an annual basis to
assess achievements and failures.
H.E VP Igga
The Vice President said the government would also initiate reforms
aimed at fighting corruption, cutting down on waste of public resources
and prioritizing the achievement of national development goals.
The VP was addressing the staff of the national Ministry of Labour,
Public Service and Human Resource Development at the Ministry premises
on Wednesday when he made the remarks. The VP said he had been
instructed by the President to visit all government ministries to find
out what happens there, adding that in future he would make impromptu
visits to ministries.
“The
main objective of the performance contracts is to improve service
delivery to the public by ensuring ministers and civil servants are
accountable to members of the public,” he said, adding that the system
would come with sanctions and rewards.
“Ministers who score well in their contracts will be rewarded. We will
link rewards to measurable performance,” added the VP. H.E Wani Igga
said another objective of the performance management system was to
improve efficiency in government by channeling resources to the national
development priorities of the government.
The VP said independence comes with responsibility and emphasised the
need for hard work saying it was the only way the citizens would enjoy
the fruits of liberation. He said it was not fair for the country to be
importing food yet it had lots of manpower in various sectors, which was
underutilized and singled out the agricultural sector.
Staff oof the ministry of public service beeing breified by the VP
“Look, we are even importing vegetables and tomatoes. This means we are
enslaved to the countries from which we importing these commodities yet
we claim to be independent. Our land is fertile and we can produce food
with a surplus for export,” he said. “We must move away from laziness.
We even import brooms which we can easily obtain from the bushes around
us”.
Also present at the
function were the Minister for Labour, Public Service and Human Resource
Development, Mr Ngor Kolong Ngor, Cabinet Affairs Minister Elia Lomoro,
and Labour Undersecretary Madam Hellen Achiro Lotara.
Reported by Justin Jada and Simon Peter Owaka
VP chairs the Government donors round table meeting
JUBA, 22 November 2013 (NASS) - The vice president of the Republic, Hon. James Wani Igga today chaired the Government Donors round table at the ministry of Information and broadcasting meeting Hall, the Government Donors round table was establish by the multi Donors trust fund during the interim period.
VP Igga and the diplomats at the Information ministry's main conference hall
[Photo: Francis Oliver]
In a statement to goss.org, the Minister for Information and
Broadcasting, Hon Michael Makuei said the meeting aimed to change the
name of the round table from Donors to Government Partners round table
that would be able to support the Government in all aspect.
The meeting also agreed to change the objective of the round table from
raising funds for the government to setup a joint dialogue on the
issues of concern, Hon. Makuei added.
Hon. Makuei who is also the
official spokesman commended the contributions by the donors during the
interim period in supporting the government.
Reported by Francis Oliver, News Agency of South Sudan (NASS)
Cabinet Affairs minister warms traders of hiking commodity prices
JUBA, 22 November 2013 (NASS) - The minister for cabinet affairs Martin Elia Lomoro warned traders against hiking prices of commodities such as fuel, water, and food items in the country.
The Cabinet
Affairs minister while in a joint press conference with the minister of
Finance said there is no reason why traders must hike prices after the
central bank revoked the November 11 decision to devalue the South Sudan
pounds. Earlier, the central bank Governor Kornelio Koryom Manyik had
announced an exchange reforms,a decision he said was intended to unify
the official and parallel exchange rates in the market. However the
decision was halted by the national parliament.
Hon Elia Lomoro during the press breifing at the ministry of Information
[Photo: Francis Oliver]
Despite the official exchange rate of the South Sudan Pound against the
Dollar remaining as previously at 2. 95, many traders are reportedly
still charging highly. Hon. Lomoro has called upon the citizen to report
any person who may want to make quick money out of the “currency
devaluation situation” to the security authorities.
The minister for the finance, commerce, investment and economic
planning, Agri Tisa Sabuni confirmed his readiness to appear before the
parliament to respond to the lawmakers to explain the “supposed
devaluation”. He was quick though to say, “the ministry will respect the
decision of the august house for the benefit of the citizen of the
country”.
Reported by Francis Oliver News Agency of South Sudan (NASS)