8th Governors’ Forum concludes with key resolutions for national progress

By Matik Kueth

The 8^th Governors’ Forum, held from November 26 to December 2nd, 2024, on Monday, concluded with significant resolutions aimed at addressing critical issues facing South Sudan, including intergovernmental relations, constitution-making, elections, civil space, climate change, and humanitarian concerns.The Forum, which was chaired by President Salva Kiir and co-hosted by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, included civil society representatives, national ministers, vice presidents, governors from all ten states, and chief administrators from three administrative regions.

It overarching goal is to “Forge sustainable peace and commit to tangible action in the extended R-ARCSS transition,” with a focus on improving governance, security, and the country’s economic future.

The resolutions that were adopted include policies for economic diversification, climate action, timely elections, constitutional change, protection of civic space, and actions to improve governance, develop intergovernmental relations, and increase security.

Governors and Chief Administrators standing showing respect to H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit [Photo – Courtesy]

• Ministry of Finance and Planning to pay salary arrears and monthly salaries of public servants.
• government, in coordination with states and administrative areas, should remove all illegal checkpoints along national roads and waterways, the Nile along the Nile, Sobat and Naam.
• National government should ban illegal tax collections along roads and waterways and other locations to boost commerce.
• Ensure security along all roads, so that movement of people and goods are not impeded.
• Stop child and women abduction, as well as cattle raiding and rassle in Jonglei, Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Central Equatorial State and other places, and return abducted children to their families.
• Set up special courts to prosecute child abductors and cattle rustlers.
• National government should relocate all cattle camps from Jonglei State in Greater Equatoria and arm cattle herders back to Jonglei as required by Presidential Order of 2017. 8. National government should compel and borrow cattle herders to move to pastoralist areas in Upper Nile and Greater Bar El-Ghazal.
• IDPs in Mangala to be relocated to Jonglei State to end persistent conflicts in local communities and enable return to displaced local people. 10. National government should resolve land conflicts and issues in Jonglei and community land, and return illegally occupied plots of land to their owners.
• Land registries should be transferred back to state and administrative areas.
• Stop illegal mining for gold and other minerals and associated human rights abuses and environmental pollution problems in Central Equatoria State, (particularly Ganji and Wondruba, Jonglei Administrative Area and other places.
• States and administrative areas have legal right to deal with perpetrators of illegal mining.
• National government to implement the allocation of resources based on the ratio 40% to states, 20% to the national government, 40% to counties.
• Improve transfers of block grants and other funds to states and administrative areas. 16. States and administrative areas to ensure that schools, health facilities, churches and mosques and private homes are not occupied by soldiers and members of other organized forces.
• States and administrative areas should hold regular cabinet meetings and other essential activities to improve governance.
• Empower legislatures in states and administrative areas.
• The judiciary should recruit more judges and prosecutors and deploy to states and administrative areas.
• Expedite trials and sentencing to reduce overcrowding in jails and prisons.
• National government should build jails and prisons in states and administrative areas to reduce overcrowding in jails and prisons.
• States and administrative areas to collect PIT, personal income tax.
• National Ministry of Finance and Planning should transfer sales tax adjustment grants to states and administrative areas on a monthly basis according to the 30% agreement of 2012.
• National government should relinquish the infringed powers of the Traffic Police and Civil Defense Service in particular relating to motor vehicle licensing and driver licenses.
• States and administrative areas should organize commissioners’ forums and share resolutions and recommendations at governors’ forums.
• Governors’ forum resolutions and recommendations to instill trust in activities of this annual platform.
• National government should declare a campaign to prioritize agriculture. And lastly on this theme, states and administrative areas should protect the assets of the national government in the states.
• National government should provide adequate funds to complete training, deployment of necessary unified forces, so as to complete implementation of Chapter 2, which is the transitional security arrangements of the agreement.
• National Assembly to amend National Security Act to address serious concerns about parts of it.
• National government with support of states and administrative areas to conduct comprehensive disarmament across a country.
• Create conducive environment for investors in states and administrative areas.
• Provide conducive environment for farmers to grow their crops.
• National government should engage neighboring countries to end encroachments into the territory of South Sudan.
• Council of oil producing states and administrative areas to amicably address differences of community development committees.
• National government to fast-track road construction with domestic resources and or loans.
• National government to establish round-shell development commission.
• Expedite the constitutional making process.
• Disseminate information on the Ara axis roadmap, especially the recent extension.
• Provide funds to promote peace in states and administrative areas.
• Arch respect for human rights by the government and others.
• Disseminate information on federalism in states and administrative areas.
• Ensure conducive security and political environment for political activities through peace building and other activities.
• National states and administrative areas and local governments should ensure freedom of expression and association.
• Necessary unified forces and other security organs should secure voting centers and materials.

Resolutions on the constitution-making process:

• Conduct awareness on the importance of the constitution.
• Ensure inclusive constitution-making process.
• The National Commission Review Commission should ensure that the views of South Sudanese on constitutional affairs are heard and respected.
• The national government should provide the required funds and other resources to the National Constitution Review Commission to effectively carry out its activities.

Elections and Civic Space:

• States and administrative areas should guarantee political and civic space and participation.
• The national government should fund election activities and ensure transparent and accountable views of the funds.
• Ministers of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to submit amendments to the National Security Bill to the National Assembly Sections 15, 54, 55, and 57.
• National Elections Commission should train staff in order to effectively manage election activities.
• NEC should ensure that all countries receive civic education. Encourage eligible South Sudanese to vote in the elections.
• R-TGoNU should ensure no more extensions and hold elections on time.

Nicolas Haysom, UNMISS Chief [Photo – Courtesy]

• Disseminate reports on audits conducted in oil areas.
• Discourage rampant cutting of trees and undertake afforestation in states and administrative areas to protect the environment.
• Governments at all levels should ensure humanitarian access and protection of humanitarian workers.
• Ministers of Finance and Planning to immediately release funds to the Ministers of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management for flood interventions. So now I move to the recommendations.

The governors, in their continued efforts to improve the economy, also recommended that the Minister of Finance and Planning, in coordination with state governments, expedite investments in agriculture and mining, as outlined in the financial year 2024-2025 budget.

These sectors are pivotal to diversifying the economy and reducing the nation’s reliance on oil. The governors, chief administrator, and stakeholders also emphasized the need for swift action in the government’s vehicle procurement and disposal program.

The governors also highlighted the critical importance of complying with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPPAA) regulations, which were passed by the National Transitional Legislative Assembly. These regulations are designed to enforce transparent and cost-effective procurement processes.

The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority is tasked with ensuring these regulations are enforced across all levels of government, reducing resource wastage and ensuring that public spending is both effective and efficient. A review of the implementation progress will be conducted by mid-2025.

Simultaneously, the certification of vendor and company registration will be accelerated, which will help build a comprehensive database of qualified organizations that may take part in procurement opportunities in accordance with the authority’s rules.

In the area of the healthcare sector, the finance ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is set to develop a regulatory framework, technical requirements, and a funding structure for the Public Employees Medical Scheme. This framework is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet and ultimately to the Transitional Legislative Assembly for enactment by Q2 2025.

However, the finance ministry and the health ministry will, with immediate effect, engage industry experts and development partners to form a working group tasked with developing a national health insurance plan.

The governors also agreed that the progress of economic independence initiatives will be reviewed at the next Governors’ Forum, with the Minister of Finance and Planning addressing disparities in the financial outlays of the 2023-24 budget in coordination with state ministries of finance.

In a similar move, the South Sudan Revenue Authority, in collaboration with state revenue bodies, will immediately enhance tax compliance and enforcement mechanisms to boost public revenues and reduce tax evasion.

To improve economic efficiency, the governors directed that unnecessary checkpoints within and between states should be removed immediately, with full removal expected by Q2 2024.

This will help reduce the costs of doing business and enhance overall economic activity.

The finance ministry, in partnership with state governments, will also establish mechanisms for the payment of salaries through the banking system and digital payment platforms.

This shift will improve transparency, reduce the risks associated with cash handling, and foster financial inclusion. The implementation of this measure will begin immediately, with a progress review set for 2025.

On the financial crime front, the Financial Intelligence Unit will proactively investigate and report illegal pyramid schemes and other financial crimes to the relevant law enforcement agencies, ensuring immediate action is taken.

The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs is tasked with expediting the prosecution of individuals and entities involved in illegal schemes, such as the notorious Silicon Valley pyramid scheme, in order to protect citizens and maintain accountability.

The governors also condemned predatory lending practices, such as loans with exorbitant interest rates, which have a detrimental impact on businesses and individuals.

They further called for the immediate release of individuals arrested for failing to repay such predatory loans, in line with a legal circular issued by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

This circular prohibits the criminal prosecution of victims of predatory lending schemes. The Judiciary and the Ministry of the Interior are strongly urged to ensure that all law enforcement units comply with this directive.

In their closing remarks at the Eighth Governors’ Forum, President Kiir and FVP Dr. Riek Machar, appealed for cooperation at federal, state, and administrative levels to implement the forum’s recommendations.