Finance Minister and Central Bank Governor Travel to Rumbek for New Currency Centre Opening

(RUMBEK, LAKES STATE) – The Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Athian Diing Athian, and the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan (BoSS), Dr. Addis Ababa Othow, left Juba on Saturday for Rumbek to open a new currency centre designed to improve cash circulation and strengthen the stability of the South Sudan Pound.

The new Rumbek Currency Centre is part of the government’s wider financial reform programme aimed at addressing liquidity shortages and improving the efficiency of cash distribution across the country. It will serve as a regional hub for storing, processing, and distributing currency to nearby states, reducing the need for long road transport of cash from Juba.

Officials say the establishment of the facility will also ease pressure on commercial banks operating outside the capital, enabling faster cash transfers and lowering operational costs related to currency delivery.

According to economic observers, the move reflects the government’s ongoing effort to stabilise the local currency, which has been under pressure due to inflation and market speculation. The Bank of South Sudan has in recent months announced a series of monetary measures to support the value of the South Sudan Pound and ensure consistent cash availability in the financial system.

The new currency centre in Rumbek is expected to support commercial activities in Lakes State and neighbouring regions by ensuring reliable access to cash for banks, traders, and government institutions. It will also reduce risks associated with long-distance cash transportation and help maintain better control over currency distribution.

The Bank of South Sudan, established in July 2011 by an Act of Parliament, serves as the country’s central monetary authority, responsible for regulating financial institutions, controlling inflation, and issuing the national currency. The institution has been working with the Ministry of Finance to modernise financial management systems and strengthen transparency within the banking sector.

While the exact cost of the new currency centre was not disclosed, banking sources say similar facilities typically require several billion South Sudan Pounds in infrastructure and security investment, equivalent to tens of of millions of US dollars depending on the scale.

The visit by the Finance Minister and the BoSS Governor is seen as a signal of the government’s commitment to financial decentralisation and the continued rollout of monetary reforms aimed at rebuilding confidence in the national economy.