FILE PHOTO: Hon. Michael Ayuen, the Chairperson of the Finance Committee at the Parliament. (Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio).

JUBA, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Hon. Michael Ayuen, has issued a powerful call for transparency and structural reform, warning that South Sudan cannot escape its current economic crisis without honest dialogue and unified revenue management.

Speaking Thursday, February 12during a high-stakes public hearing at the National Parliament, Ayuen addressed a diverse assembly of stakeholders, including lawmakers, civil society activists, and representatives from all ten states and the three administrative areas.

The hearing focused on the 2025–2026 Draft Budget and Finance Bill, a 7 trillion South Sudanese Pound (SSP) spending plan that arrives amid severe fiscal pressure and a projected 1.5 trillion SSP deficit.

Ayuen emphasized that the era of passive budget approval must end if the country is to stabilize its economy. He urged attendees to engage critically with the draft to ensure that the final legislation serves the people rather than bureaucratic interests.

“We expect all of you to freely engage and raise issues that shall guide the parliament to endorse amendments which will create harmony between the national and sub-national levels of revenue collections,” Ayuen stated.

He specifically highlighted the friction between national and state-level tax administrations, noting that “harmony” in revenue collection is essential to creating a conducive environment for trade and private investment.

The Chairperson did not mince words regarding the nation’s financial health. With civil service salaries frequently delayed and inflation remaining high, Ayuen framed the budget scrutiny as a survival mechanism for the state.

“We will not get out of the current economic crisis if we don’t begin to speak out loud and clear, such that we put our own house in order,” he told the gallery.

Supported by the World Bank’s Public Financial Management project, the two-day hearing provided a rare platform for direct citizen engagement, and after that, the Finance Committee will consolidate these public views into a report for the Second Reading in Parliament.

The outcome of these deliberations will determine whether the 2025/2026 budget can truly function as a “stabilization” tool or if it will struggle under the weight of the country’s persistent economic hurdles.