05 November 2011

Progress on Governance in South Sudan

1. The Public Financial Management Bill, a key piece of foundational legislation governing government expenditure, which has sat in draft form for several years has finally almost been passed by the Legislative Assembly (this is very good news).

2. The government accounts for 2005 and 2006 have finally been audited and presented to the Legislative Assembly, again, really great news (although there is some pretty nasty stuff in the details of the audit, it is important that people are hearing about it).

3. The Minister for Public Service Reform has resigned due to opposition from the rest of the cabinet on her reforms. There is no doubt reform is needed, but perhaps her ambitions for hiring only those with higher qualifications was unrealistic.

Two steps forward and one step back? Altogether, there was a kind of sense before the referendum that the independence was the absolute priority, and everything else would have to wait. A kind of reluctance to rock the boat or present any division for Khartoum to try and exploit. But that after independence things might change. I really hope so. 

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