Photo at the Signing Ceremony of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Regulations  on 17th October 2024. In the Photo, seated and signing the Regulations is the Minister of Finance and Planning Hon. Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater, in the presence of -standing from left is Hon. Deng Akue Kak, the Executive Director of PPDAA, Hon. Ayii Akol Bol, the Acting Chairperson of PPDAA; Hon. Michael Ayuen Johnson, the Chairperson Standing Specialized Committee on Finance and Economic Planning of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly; and Hon. Benjamin Ayali Koyongwa, the Undersecretary for Planning- the Ministry of Planning and Finance.

The signing of the Regulations by the Minister follows the passing and adoption of the same by the Transitional National Legislative Assembly on 12th August 2024.

In his brief speech after signing the Regulations, the Minister stated that historically, public procurement has been a major area of concern, with weak financial controls leading to widespread misuse of funds. The new regulations seek to close loopholes by establishing strict guidelines for procurement and asset disposal, a key step toward improving governance and resource allocation. “This is one of the key eleven areas that the government has been working on and today is a great day that we have seen through one of the key areas of reforms. The signing of the Regulations today concludes the legal framework for operationalization of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Asset in South Sudan. We expect the PPDAA, the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and the entire government to create public awareness about the processes so that we have to be guided by these regulations.”

“The people of South Sudan expect the country’s resources to be spent transparently and with no waste and I want to assure you that we have come a long way and the government is committed to helping you discharge this important mandate,” Minister Dongrin added.

For his part, Hon Ayii Bol Akol, the Acting Chairperson of PPDDAs Board of Directors recalled that the preparations of the Regulations date back to 2021, with validation workshops in 2022, followed by approval of the same by the Board of Directors of the PPDAA in March 2023. “Signing of these Regulations signifies the start of the implementation of procurement reform agenda and we hope PPDAA activities will be prioritized even amid limited resources,” he said. “We know the importance of public procurement and disposal of assets and we are after the value for money, so, this is the starting point for the value of money.”

The World Bank’s Acting Country Manager, Mr. Juvenal Nzambimana, and the African Development Bank’s Country Manager, Mr. Themba Themba Bhebhe, commended the South Sudanese Government for issuance of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Regulations. Mr. Nzambimana said that the signing of the Regulations by the Minister was s a significant milestone. “It has been challenging to operationalize the Public Procurement Act which was enacted in 2018 without the Regulations. The signing of these Regulations is crucial for the improvement of public finance management, governance management, transparency, and accountability” he said. “By putting in place a functional public procurement system, South Sudan can now look forward to enhancing efficiency and integrity in its procurement process.”