The Ambassador of the United State of America to South Sudan, Michael J. Adler has called the national government to make revenue beneficial for South Sudan citizens in transparent and accountable manner.
This came during the National economic conference organized in Juba this week.
Ambassador Adler who represented Troika says, the government takes responsibility to provide basic services to its citizens, paying public sectors’ salaries on time.
“As representatives of donor countries, we all here to build their own taxi payers and to the South Sudanese people we seek to support, to call on the transitional government to prioritize it’s used a public revenue in a manner to treat the South Sudanese people as priority.”
The diplomat further encourages the government to increase its contributions to all the health sector and humanitarian assistance with great needs in the country.
The diplomat adds that the question of how the wealth of this country should be used is for the south Sudanese people to determine.
“Let me be clear, the question of how the wealth of this country should be used is the South Sudanese people to determine not for me, not for other foreigners.”
Ambassador Adler regrets the case of not using public revenue to meet other priorities, citing that it effecting government capacities and services as primary driver of criminality and corruption.
The Uganda Ambassador who is deputy Dean of Diplomatic Corp Gen. Ronnie Balya says the National Economic conference will enable to identify opportunities that can be explored to expand the economy.
“The forum will enable us especially the private sector and the public sector in South Sudan to examine the achievement and challenges, but also identify opportunities that can be explored to expand the economy.”
Amb. Balya says South Sudan and Africa at large are still far behind in the economic system.
He appeals to South Sudanese to embrace peace and expand trade, investment, and the revenue.
“Now that peace as return in South Sudan, let us embrace this opportunity to expand the trade, investment, the revenue place and focus on the various sectors like industry, agriculture, ICT, and many others.”
He calls on the development partners to feed Africans with knowledge and skills on how they can manage their own resource.
Ambassador Ronnie encourages the government of South Sudan to stablish industries in all the States.
The first national economic conference was organized by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.