Corruption and mismanagement of public funds in GOSS

BY: Mabor Yiel Naih, YIROL, SOUTH SUDAN. June 17th 2011

The economics of South Sudan has unquestionably gone on the decline due to financial mismanagement going on by the poor economical planners who regard themselves qualified for the positions.

It is for the first time in the South Sudan , during former finance minister, Mr. Kuol Athian leadership to find young boys having been granted independent tickets for approval of Companies which are not really put into right position, use and well managed system.

South Sudan has been involved in serious corruption whereby people are employed according to technical know-who while those with technical know-how are suffering with their knowledge. 

It is also in the case of Mr. David Deng Athorbei, the current GoSS Minister of finance where huge numbers of Forex money exchange centers for individual benefits are seen everywhere in Juba city.  

Where are we going, people? Did we fight against our common enemy so that only a few people benefit? Or did we fight to Employ Ministers for Economic retardation? I belief these guys know answers to these questions better than any citizen could answer.

When I see such things, I fervently blame the government of President (Salva Kiir) Mayardit; this is the government without accountability or whatsoever. 

Because it demonstrates that those corrupt Ministers who were exploring the meager resources from the hands of the communities are still being put into right positions whereby you find somebody with more than 75 wives a leader. Imagine, this guys with such number of wives, have more than 75 brothers, sisters, mothers and father-in-laws which will make him difficult to serve the population in a right way because half of the budget from the government is taken by such relatives.

The ministry of Finance has trained the tax officers to control the taxation in the whole South Sudan but yet there are other regions-States where tax officers are not operating, especially, Lakes State , which is well known for this blockage. This shows too that the government of Mayardit is lacking accountability.

Southern Sudan is contending with problem of underdevelopment since colonial period through post independence and during the independence era in the Sudan . The economic backwardness and inequitable distribution of wealth is also contributing to the underdevelopment of the Southern Sudan .  

It’s totally worse in Southern Sudan although economic imbalances have caused the South 22 years of civil war with the Khartoum Government which ended in Nairobi , Kenya on 9th January 2005.

The CPA is almost diminishing just a few weeks to left to close the CPA book and nothing has been achieved so far with exception of roads network to some rural areas which have also contributed to reduction of transport cost throughout the country. 

The economy during these six years is still doomed when we look at how public funds are being mismanaged by those people in power.  The interim period tells us that the underdevelopment in Southern Sudan has been subjected to high levels of corruption which has affected the proposed developmental projects in the entire country. 

The world now recognized corruption to be one of the world's greatest challenges. It is a major impediment to sustainable development, with an inconsistent impact on poor communities and is sarcastic on the very fabric of society. 

The impact on the private sector is also considerable - it impedes economic growth, distorts competition and represents serious legal and reputational risks.

The historical review of corruption for the last six years shows that SPLM as a ruling party in the Southern Sudan is losing popularity it had gained for the last 29 years. The majority of the people are subjected to embezzlements of funds from their GOSS in the few ministries.

A hungry man is an angry man. The corruption has caused the citizens in the Southern Sudan to be subjected to hunger which has contributed to its insecurity in various states. When also looking at the gap between the poor and the rich within six years, it's so wide.

The day when corruption is stopped in Southern Sudan will be the day we shall say goodbye to greedy ministers and stand with those who will eradicate poverty, conflicts, crimes, etc. 

The question shall always circle in our minds that corruption can't be  stopped because the people who are supposed to create awareness on corruption are the people practicing it. 

The poverty created by corruption in the South Sudan has really affected the citizens in one way or another. The dream of achieving good governance, development, and stability in the independence of the Republic of South Sudan shall remain in question to its citizen unless Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardit the GOSS president removed the Greedy Ministers from their ministries and replaced them with people’s ministers to bring about change in our society.

The corruption and  underdevelopment of the Southern Sudan may take another century unless we accept our failures and give chance to those who are willing and able to work as ministers as we achieve our independent body comes in July 2011.

The writer is B.A student College of Economics and social studies, University of Bahr el Ghazal . Can be reach at mabor_yiel@yahoo.com