Hon. Lily Albino, deputy minister of Agriculture and Food Security | Credit | ITU Podcasts

The Economic Cluster in the unity government has approved a 60-billion-Pound supplementary budget, in effect extending the fiscal year 2019/2020 budget.

A meeting of the cluster on Tuesday reviewed a report presented by the Minister of Finance and Planning, Salvatore Garang, on the national resource policy for the fiscal year 2020/2021.

The Economic Cluster, which is headed up by Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga, approved the additional budget.

According to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, the amount presented was based on projections of oil prices and tax collections.

“Scenario number one projected that the oil prices are at 20 dollars per barrel and tax collection will be reduced by six percent,” said Lily Albino, whose ministry falls under the Economic Cluster.

“Scenario number two projected that the oil prices will be at $35 and tax collection will be reduced by 40 percent.”

Since the formation of the reconstituted government of national unity, the ministry of finance has not presented budget for the financial year 2020/2021.

South Sudan’s Financial Year covers 12 months, which runs from 1 July to 30 June.

Such budgets are approved by the Council of Ministers, then submit to the national parliament for deliberations and approvals. It is then signed by the President.

But since February 2020, South Sudan does not have a functioning parliament at the state and national level, and the cabinet is yet to discuss this year’s budget.

A few months ago, President Salva Kiir reportedly issued a memo, requiring the government to continue operating on a supplementary budget.

On Tuesday, the finance minister reportedly presented a report estimating a 60 billion South Sudanese Pounds as the cost of running the revitalized government in the absence of a fiscal year budget.