Distinguished  Guests,
Esteemed Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

I stand before you today humbled and deeply honored by the trust bestowed upon me by His Excellency, General Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve under his leadership.

My appointment comes at a time when our economy is under pressure,

making it difficult for the government to adequately meet its competing

financial obligations, including payment of public servants’ salaries.

Esteemed colleagues –

First of all, allow me to acknowledge and thank my immediate predecessor, Hon. Awow Daniel Chuang for his service and leadership. I also thank all the former Ministers of Finance whose work formed the foundation we shall build upon.

Furthermore, I thank the senior management and the staff for organizing this warm reception. Certainly, my success will depend on your diligence, professionalism and commitment to work for the country. I will count on each and every one of you during my tenure. I will work with everybody in this Ministry in good faith, and as your team leader and I pledge to look after you and provide the needed support to execute your responsibilities effectively

Over the next few days and months, we will listen to each    other’s ideas

and perspectives which will be instrumental in formulating a realistic and viable path towards economic recover

Ladies and gentlemen,

I don’t want to bore you with policy pronouncements in this occasion, instead we intend to hit the ground running from today by convening meetings with senior management of the Ministry and across economic

sector institutions to commence devising immediate interventions to address our current challenges. The Ministry will endeavor to keep the public informed. Your patience and support will be critical to this effort.

It is worth noting that during the swearing in ceremony, H.E the President gave me specific directives that must be implemented:

i. Payment of public employees’ salaries
ii. Increased non-oil revenue mobilization
iii. Consolidation of all government bank accounts

In this regard, I would like to highlight the steps we shall immediately undertake in coordination with the following institutions;

1. South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA)

. MoFP will revise upward and issue, by the end of this week, a new revenue target for the Fiscal Year 2024/2025.

.  The Board and the Management of SSRA to immediately formulate and execute strategies to achieve the new target that will soon be communicated.

• In order to achieve the new revenue target, the SSRA will provide daily revenue collection reports in order to track progress and address any impediments in a timely

. MOFP will provide the necessary support to ensure strict implementation of the Ministerial Orders suspending all non- statutory exemptions.

b.  Bank of South Sudan

• MoFP requests the Bank South Sudan to provide a list of all government accounts at Central Bank and Commercial Banks with corresponding This information, once provided, shall

form  a   basis  for   implementing  the   President’s directive  on consolidation of Goverment banks accounts.

• Work together to coordinate fiscal and monetary policy alignment to stabilize the

Additionally, the budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, which is currently under review, focuses on agricultural sector development and investment in critical infrastructure. The government will prioritize financial allocation to these important sectors, which ln the medium to long term, will stimulate domestic productivity, self-sufficiency and economic growth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must come to terms with the reality that the prevailing challenges require us to live within our means and judiciously manage our limited resources.

Like in every ordinary household, LEAN TIMES force people to ration what they have, while looking for ways to bring in more. We are in a similar place today, and this compels us to pursue focused austerity approach. As such, the necessary pain and sacrifices required to get out of this difficulty shall be equally borne by all, and that will include cutting non-priority public sector spending. This will ease pressure on and direct resources towards facilitating the recovery program that we shall roll out soon.

Distinguished guests,

I want to take this opportunity to thank our development partners, and to assure them of the continuity of the ongoing collaboration, and particularly through the Public Financial Management (PFM) reform agenda. We will continue working with you in charting the country’s medium- and long-term development plans, and strengthening transparency and accountability across the board.

Finally, I reiterate my gratitude to all of you for this occasion. Let us join hands and get to work.                                       

Thank you.

May God Bless Our Nation.