(YEI RIVER COUNTY) – A two day financial management training programme for local government officials has begun in Yei River County, aimed at improving public finance systems and strengthening service delivery at the county level in Central Equatoria State.
The training, which started on January 14, 2026, is organised by the Central Equatoria State government with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. It has brought together more than thirty five county revenue and finance officers drawn from different departments across Yei River County.
The Commissioner of Yei River County, Emmanuel Taban Seme, attended the opening session and praised the organisers for introducing the capacity building programme. He said the training would help officials gain practical skills to address weaknesses in financial management and improve accountability in the use of public funds.
The Commissioner urged officials responsible for handling public finances to take the training seriously, noting that stronger professional standards are essential for effective governance and improved trust in local institutions. He also advised participants to remain cautious about their personal security, referring to incidents reported in 2025 in which some local government officials were kidnapped.
During the training, Akonj James Adwok, the coordinator of the JICA project team, said the main goal of the programme is to strengthen skills in budget preparation, financial management, and financial reporting at the county level. He explained that the training targets key staff from planning offices and the controller of accounts to support timely budget preparation and the maintenance of proper financial records.
Mr Adwok said improved financial reporting systems are important for transparency and for ensuring that limited public resources are used efficiently. He added that stronger financial controls can also help counties attract development support and improve confidence among partners.
He further noted that JICA remains committed to supporting local governments in South Sudan. Some of the facilitators involved in the programme previously received similar training in Japan and are now sharing their knowledge locally to help build sustainable skills from the grassroots level.
The training is fully funded by JICA as part of its wider support for improving public financial management within local government institutions across South Sudan. The Count Press Unit said such programmes are important for strengthening county administration and supporting economic stability at the local level.
