South Sudan: Tight Funding Could Disrupt Essential Services, Finance Ministry Warns

By Debora Akur Chol, South Sudan

The government of South Sudan has warned that limited public funding could severely disrupt essential services if resources are not carefully prioritized in the upcoming national budget.

Undersecretary at the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Benjamin Ayali Koyongwa, sounded the caution during a two-day public hearing on the FY2025/2026 Finance Bill and draft national budget.

He said the shrinking fiscal space requires urgent and strategic allocation of the country’s scarce resources to protect vital services such as health, education and water.

“This hearing provides a platform to highlight urgent and unmet funding gaps, particularly those affecting service delivery at the state and local government levels, including health, education, water, infrastructure, agriculture and social protection,” Koyongwa stated.

According to the undersecretary, government revenue has declined significantly over the past year and a half, largely due to reduced support from international partners.

“For more than a year now, fiscal space has continued to shrink. The funding we previously received from development partners is no longer coming at the same level,” he explained.

He stressed that despite the financial constraints, the government must ensure continuity of basic services.

“Health services cannot stop because people fall sick every day. Learners must remain in classrooms. We must work collectively to ensure that the limited resources available are directed to these priority sectors,” he added.

Earlier this month, Minister of Health Sarah Cleto appealed for increased domestic funding after significant cuts in donor assistance to the health sector.

She disclosed that 102 health facilities across the country have been left without project support following the withdrawal of several partners.

Cleto revealed that the Ministry of Health currently receives only 1.3 percent of the national budget, while nearly 85 percent of its funding comes from donors.

She further noted that the Health Sector Transformation Project (HSTP), initially valued at 400 million US dollars, has been reduced by nearly half after key contributors — including the governments of United States and Sweden — withdrew their financial support.

Officials say the public hearings are aimed at ensuring transparency and inclusivity in the budgeting process, as the government seeks to balance limited revenues with growi

ng public service demands.