.        H.E. Dr. Wani Igaa, Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan;

-       Rt. Hon. Jema Nunu Kumba, Speaker of the TNLA;

-       Hon. Losuba Ludoru Wongo, Minister for Federal Affairs;

-       Mr Guang Cong, Deputy SRSG [Representative of UNMISS];

-       Amb. Prof. Joram Biswaro, SRCC and Head of the African Union Mission in South Sudan

-       Honorable Ministers, Excellencies 

-       Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

-       All Protocol Observed

Good Morning!

1.   At the outset, I bring you warm greetings from H.E. Amb. Maj. Gen (rtd) Charles Tai Gituai, Interim Chairperson of RJMEC, who is unable to be here in person, at the opening of this high-level forum, due to unavoidable circumanstances.

2.   On behalf of the Interim Chairperson of RJMEC, allow me to thank the Council of States, the Ministry of Petroluem and the Ministry of Finance and Planning for convening this forum on: “Fiscal Devolution, Wealth Sharing and Revenue Management in South Sudan”. 

3.   In a special way, I would like to extend RJMEC’s appreciation to the UNMISS and UNDP for their continued support to the implementation of the R-ARCSS and for facilitating the convening of this forum.

4.   From RJMEC’s perspective, looking back to 2016, and prior, the conversations about federalism and its key tenets in the Republic of South Sudan have come a long way, and it is today very constructive, informative and progressive. 

5.   The ongoing conversations on federalism and the widely held expectation for a permanent constitution based on a federal system of government in the Republic of South Sudan after the Transitional Period, underscores a positive change in attitude, incuding the importance of getting the design and implementation of federalism right.

6.   So far, a lot of work has been done by the Ministry of Federal Affairs which has developed a clear policy guideline on federalism, other line Ministries supporting this endeavors, the Transitional National Legislature enacting laws to support reforms and the implementation of the Agreement, and various partners such as UNMISS, UNDP, the Max Plank Foundation and the International IDEA, who have all contributed to this endeavour.

7.   Today’s forum is particularly important, given that “fiscal responsibility and wealth sharing” are not only some of the key hallmarks of federalism  but also an area fraught with conflicts, and sometimes, they are the key obstacles, for the implementation of a viable federal arrangement.

8.   RJMEC therefore welcomes the timely nature of this high-level forum, delving deeper into this issue of fiscal federalism, wealth creation, and revenue management, and for bringing the reconstituted NCRC on board, to illuminate its various facets, listen to current concerns from the people on the ground, researchers, stakeholders, practitioners, and learn experiences and best practices.

9.       Furthermore, I would like to underscore that this engagement is a positive step to achieving the provision of Article 4.1.6 of the R-ARCSS which states:  “Revenue sharing shall reflect a commitment to devolution of powers and resources, and the decentralization of decision-making in regard to development, service delivery and governance”.  

10.   Furthermore, the conversations here will contribute to the implementation of Article 4.1.5 of R-ARCSS, which states that “the wealth of South Sudan shall be shared equitably so as to enable each level of government to discharge its reconstruction, development, legal and constitutional obligations, duties and responsibilities”.

11.  In conclusion, for fiscal devolution to be effective, there are a number of preconditions which need to taken into consideration. They include, among others,  a stable political environment; effective autonomous subnational governments; institutional capacity at regional/state and local levels of government; government accountability; effective democratic election infrastructure at all levels of government; and capacity to raise adequate levels of revenue locally.

12.  Finally, RJMEC is optimistic and confident that the outcome of this forum will go a long way in identifying a viable fiscal federalism model for South Sudan that can enhance effective governance, equitable development, and sustainable peacebuilding in a democratic and federal South Sudan. 

13.  I wish you fruitful deliberations over the next two days.

I Thank You!