(JUBA) – The Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Dr Jemma Nunu Kumba, announced on Wednesday that the South Sudanese parliament has been forced to suspend some of its operations due to severe budget shortfalls.
Speaking during the official reopening of parliament following a long recess, Dr Nunu said that while the assembly had managed to fulfil most of its core duties for the year, it had only received 40% of its allocated budget for the 2024–2025 fiscal year.
According to the speaker, this financial constraint has left key activities shelved.
“You will see in our annual report… that a good number of activities had to be shelved due to lack of funds,” she told lawmakers. “In effect, as reflected in the financial annual report, the National Legislature received only about 40% of its allocated budget.”
Dr Nunu described this funding shortfall as part of a broader public sector crisis, which has had significant effects on service delivery, especially at community level. She cited increasing insecurity in areas like Nasir and worsening economic conditions across the country.
She said, “The effects of the aforementioned challenges were widespread but felt most acutely at the grassroots, where a majority of our people live. Delays in payment of government salaries and inadequate delivery of basic public services greatly exacerbated the situation. The national legislators were themselves not spared.”
South Sudanese lawmakers, she noted, have now gone two years without salaries, medical coverage, transport allowances or other entitlements. As a result, many MPs were unable to travel to their constituencies during the recent recess because they were not given the necessary funds.
“In effect, some of the honourable MPs were unable to travel to their respective constituencies during the recess because their funds for that purpose were not disbursed,” she said.
She urged the Ministry of Finance to make medical funds for MPs a priority. “Healthy MPs mean a healthy Parliament and a healthy, effective Parliament,” she said.
Despite the difficult conditions, Speaker Nunu praised the leadership of President Salva Kiir and noted the president’s directive to the Vice President for Economic Cluster to ensure timely payment of salary arrears for civil servants and organised forces.
She emphasised that the Transitional National Legislature had remained committed to its responsibilities under the peace agreement.
“From the onset, I can unreservedly affirm and confirm that, despite the difficult circumstances our country has gone through, the Transitional National Legislature has largely delivered on its constitutional mandate, representing the will of the South Sudanese people.”
She further highlighted that the legislature has successfully passed and ratified all laws required for the implementation of the Revitalised Peace Agreement, even amid financial and logistical constraints.