By Matik Kueth
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has instructed the National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA) to resume sessions in the first week of June, following months of recess.
The directive came after a meeting on Wednesday, May 21, between President Kiir and NTLA Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba, during which they discussed legislative priorities for the upcoming session.
Speaker Kumba confirmed that once parliament reconvenes, its first order of business will be deliberating the national budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, a critical step toward addressing the country’s ongoing economic and development challenges.
The assembly went into recess last year amid financial constraints that hindered the payment of lawmakers’ allowances. Kumba said the decision to suspend sessions was made with the president’s approval and followed the successful passage of key legislation tied to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
“I am aware that there are concerns about the recess funds that were supposed to be given to members of parliament for the first and second recess and also this recess,” she explained.
She added, “This is a requirement by law, but due to the difficult economic situation we have, these funds were not provided for the members of the house.”
She added that all pending payments had been calculated and submitted to the Ministry of Finance, with efforts ongoing to resolve the issue.
Despite the financial strain, Kumba praised the assembly’s efforts in passing vital legislation and pledged to complete outstanding work in the new session. Among the key policy documents awaiting approval are the Sports Development Policy 2020–2030, the National Land Policy 2020–2024, and the National Youth Development Policy.
The reopening of parliament marks a renewed focus on governance and regional cooperation as South Sudan continues to strengthen its democratic institutions.