By Matik Kueth
The Bank of South Sudan entered a new phase of its reform agenda on Tuesday as newly appointed Governor Samuel Yeni Costa signaled a decisive shift toward a digitally driven financial system aimed at easing cash pressures and strengthening long-term economic stability.
In his address while assuming office in Juba, Costa said South Sudan’s economic future hinges on expanding digital payment platforms that can withstand liquidity shocks and reduce reliance on physical currency.
He emphasized that instead of focusing on cash shortages, the country must prioritize building financial systems where cash is no longer central to everyday transactions.
Costa positioned mobile money, electronic card services, and online payments as essential tools to modernize the economy and close gaps that have long slowed financial inclusion.
“In many countries, digital channels have replaced the need to move with bulky cash. We must adopt the same mindset here,” he said.
“When citizens say cash is scarce, we should be confident enough to point them to digital alternatives that protect value and ensure transactions continue uninterrupted,” he stated.
First Deputy Governor, Samuel Yanga Mikaya, echoed Costa’s direction, noting that South Sudan’s digital journey is hampered more by limited acceptance than limited technology.
He warned that unless businesses embrace digital payment options, users will remain locked out of services even when they have funds in their digital wallets.
“The real bottleneck is readiness. Customers may have digital money, but if service providers are not prepared to accept it, then progress stalls. This is where we must focus,” he stressed.