Water tankers line up at the newly-built water-point in Juba. (Photo: Eye Radio).

The Ebony Center, a national research organization, has called on the Economic Cluster to abandon the water tankers purchase scheme that was recently budgeted to cost 9 million US dollars.

The Economic Cluster led by Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga approved a proposed 9-million-US-dollar budget for the purchase of water tankers to supply water in Juba during a meeting on January 10, 2024.

Lily Albino Akol Akol, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security and spokesperson of the cluster said the government will buy water 50 trucks in the first phase of the initiative.

The scheme has been heavily criticized by members of the public on social media platforms.

Reacting to the government decision, the Ebony Center said the pursuit of “short-sighted” investments without careful cost-benefit analysis can lead to dire economic implications on the country.

The center questions the cost calculation and sustainability of the scheme and says South Sudanese policymakers should pursue evidence-based decision-making processes.

“In scrutinizing the $90,000 price tag for a water-tanker within Juba City’s
borders, a rigorous cost-benefit analysis is imperative to determine whether the expenditure is
justifiable,” the center said in its policy note.

It warned that the initiative, which appears as a noble idea, could end up in the list of corruption scandals like the dura saga, crisis management saga, and Letters of Credit (LCs) saga that reportedly plunged the country in financial crisis.

Instead, it recommends that the cabinet cluster assigns the function to the Juba City Council which has the necessary mandate to provide basic services, such as water in the capital.

“The DPFers (Development Policy Forum) are raising their voices in opposition to the Economic Cluster’s fiscal priorities. They are calling for a careful cost-benefit analysis approach. This call is on the argument that this scheme falls within the mandate of the Juba City Council.”

“Even if it were to be within the mandate of RTGoNU, the call would still stand in that public funds are being committed outside the PFM underpinning the approved FY2023/2024 budget and diverted away from crucial infrastructure improvements, particularly in the water sector, where the price of inaction is measured in human lives.”

It believes that the private sector’s involvement can yield considerable benefits through the introduction of innovative technologies and efficient water management practices that yield clean and affordable water system.