By Baraka John
The Governor of Western Equatoria State, Daniel Badagbu Rimbasa, on Wednesday formally endorsed the state’s 2025/2026 fiscal year budget totaling SSP 49,286,884,305 towards the state’s financial governance.
The endorsement comes after the state operated for nearly five years without an approved budget under the previous administration.
During the signing ceremony, Governor Rimbasa approved three key documents that form the backbone of the state’s fiscal framework: the Budget Book, the Financial Management Act, and the Appropriation Act.
The governor described the move as a significant step toward restoring good governance, accountability, and stability in the state.
He noted that the comprehensive budget prioritizes key sectors such as security, education, healthcare, and infrastructure, particularly the development of feeder roads to improve connectivity across the state.
The government must operate using a budget, and this budget is the one even the parliament will be doing oversight over it. People will be accountable because there’s a budget which is supposed to have services delivered”. Rimbasa stated
“And this budget is very comprehensive. It has taken everything into account. This is a foundation. This budget, we are going to work according to it, and we’ll make sure that you continue to do the oversight”.
He added, “And we are now going to reform our revenue authority to collect more money so that the state can raise money for this to happen. And we will also engage with the national government. We will also talk to them to make sure that this great holistic budget can be supported”.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Western Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly, Anna Tuna Richard, who presented the documents on behalf of Members of Parliament, praised the budget as a major step toward transparency, accountability, and sound public financial management.
Because for the last five years, the state has been operating on a conditional grant. It is the first of its kind for the state to have a budget. This budget also comprises the civil servants from the three defined states,” she said, “So with the signature of this budget, we shall also ensure that the integration of our civil servants from the three defunct states is done by the state government. And we also request that public financial management be put in place with the signature of this budget”.
The SSP 49,286,884,305 budget is expected to be financed through state revenue collection.