By Ginaba Lino
The President Salva Kiir Mayardit has officially re-appointed Barnaba Bak Chol as Minister of Finance and Planning, issuing a presidential decree on Monday alongside a broader cabinet reshuffle.
In the same decree, Athian Diing Athian was dismissed from his role as Minister of Finance and Planning.
Bak Chol now returns to the finance portfolio for a second term. His first appointment to that position took place in August 2023, when he succeeded Dier Tong Ngor. At the time of his swearing-in, President Kiir urged him to tighten revenue collections and tackle graft.
However, less than a year later, in mid-March 2024, Bak Chol was dismissed by presidential decree. The dismissal was announced on 15 March 2024 without an official reason, though it came amid a sharp depreciation of the South Sudanese pound, deepening inflation and mounting pressure on the economy.
In re-appointing Bak Chol, the President appears to be drawing on his prior experience in the finance ministry, despite the turbulence of his first term.
The move arrives as South Sudan grapples with major fiscal challenges: falling oil revenues, a weak currency, cash shortages and pressing salary arrears across the public sector.
The decision places Bak Chol at the center of the government’s fiscal reform efforts during a critical period. How successful he will be in stabilizing the economy and restoring confidence remains to be seen.