Information Minister Michael Makuei speaking to reporters after the council of Ministers meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir on Friday, 6th Oct 2023. (Photo: Charles Wote/Eye Radio).

The national cabinet on Friday passed a minimum part of the supplementary budget – a sum of about 107 billion South Sudanese pounds, which is short of the 713 billion requested to support electoral preparedness.

Information Minister Michael Makuei said this was after the Finance Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol presented a budget at the Council of Ministers meeting of Friday.

Makuei said electoral institutions first requested about 713 billion South Sudanese pounds, which the finance minister said the government will not be able to raise.

“The requested amount of the budget was seven hundred and thirteen billion, one hundred and four billion four hundred and eighty-four thousand five hundred and fifty-nine South Sudanese pounds (107,104,484, 559),” Makuei told reporters.

Makuei said Finance Minister Bak reportedly said the government will only be able to disburse the 107-billion-pound out of the 713 billion requested by the institutions.

“He (finance minister) expressed that he will be in a position to avail funds to these institutions to the sum of (107,480,120,944),” said the information minister.

He added that the cabinet directed to the finance minister to present the approved budget to the National Legislative Assembly for consideration.

“This is the amount which he expressed that the government will be in a position to meet it during this time and as such it was passed, and he is directed to present it to the National Legislative Assembly for consideration when it continues.”

Makuei further said the finance minister proposed that the rest of the supplementary budget will be passed in the next financial year, 2024/2025.

“In his presentation, the Minister divided the budget into two. This urgent budget is ending in June and what he has proposed here is an amount that can be used by these institutions up to the end of this financial year.”

“The second part of the process will be funded in the 2024-2025 budget which will be out with effect from July 2024.”