Information Minister Michael Makuei addressing the media, on 13 May 2018 | photo | Emmanuela Erasto/Eye Radio

The Council of Ministers has increased the draft budget for 2018/2019 fiscal year by 2.6 billion Pounds.

Last month, the cabinet endorsed the initial 79-billion-pound budget.

The adjusted budget was presented to the council of ministers by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning on Wednesday.

Speaking shortly after the extraordinary meeting of the cabinet, the Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth explained why they made the adjustments:

“The increment came as a result the lifting of the subsidies from the fuel and the rise in the prices of oil and improvement in the collection of the non-oil revenue. So the budget of this year is 81.6 billion South Sudanese pound.”

The budget is expected to be tabled before the Transitional National Legislative Assembly for deliberation next week.