Lest we forget and hold the NEC recommendations in drawers
A weekend like this last week was one of the most crucial in South Sudan’s calendar. The first-ever National Economic Conference had just taken six days with various speakers dissecting the opportunities and challenges that face the country’s economy.
It had been a busy week with all the time investment because in it were expectations of the economic rebirth—pulling South Sudan from the rubbles of inflation and high cost of living.
Before the event, government officials had warned against expecting instant results post-conference. This was after activists and some citizens had warned that the recommendations made in the conference should not gather dusts afterwards.
President Salva Kiir who had been on an official mission attending the climate summit in Kenya arrived in time and addressed the closure of the conference, reiterating the commitment to ensure the implementation of the draft recommendations.
President Kiir was also upbeat that the conference recommendations will not end up same way like the ones for the National Dialogue. The delegates made a raft of recommendations cutting across the jurisdictions of various clusters in the government.
While it may seem to be too early to judge the fate of the maiden summit, it also necessary to remind the government that the economic slump cannot wait.
It will take time for most of the policies to take effect especially those that depend on the extra budgetary allocation such as boosting agriculture. But there were some recommendations that did not require such adjustments.
Therefore, they can be implemented with immediate effect or as soon as possible. One week is gone but there has not been a communication from the cluster in charge. We expect the tabling of the resolutions before the Council of Ministers and then before the National Parliament so that they can be passed and effected. We should not wait. Economic slump is as bad as human illness that will never get better with time if there is no administered treatment.
