Governor Chol Tong Mayay, returning from Juba to Rumbek over the weekend, called a press conference to explain the austerity measures to mitigate financial impact caused by oil shutdown presented by the national government.
He clarified that the measures are going to affect the funding of development projects in all ten states and added that his cabinet will meet to discuss how to counteract the impact on land-locked Lakes State, that entirely depends on block grant from Juba.
He urged the citizens in the state to endure the situation and embark on agriculture during the rainy season, saying that it is the only way to compensate for the oil revenue deficit.
Eng. Tong pledged that his government will distribute 1,000 ox-ploughs to all the eight counties to ease cultivation and increase food production. He also urged every government official in the state to go to the field for cultivation this year.