As South Sudan faces a deepening liquidity crisis, a lasting solution may lie in decisive government action to change the national currency, says Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO).
Yakani is urging the government to introduce new South Sudanese Pound (SSP) notes to recover hoarded cash and resolve the persistent shortage of physical currency that continues to hinder salary payments to civil servants and organized forces.
“I would like to appreciate and congratulate the efforts demonstrated by the Vice President and Chairperson of the Economic Cluster, the Ministry of Finance, and other financial institutions for ensuring regular salary payments on the 24th of each month,” Yakani said in a statement shared with the media.
Despite these efforts, he noted, many institutions have gone for months without receiving actual cash due to a lack of liquidity.
“My appeal to the leadership of the Economic Cluster and the Ministry of Finance is to change the South Sudanese Pound notes to recover money that is being hoarded at home by citizens and the business community,” he urged.
Yakani emphasized that a currency reset would compel those holding large sums of money outside the formal banking system to return it into circulation—boosting liquidity and easing economic strain.
“There is a significant number of South Sudanese and businesspeople holding SSP at home. This is contributing to salary delays, as there is not enough cash flowing through the system,” he said.
Recently, the Ministry of Finance announced the commencement of salary disbursements for April 2025, stating that all spending agencies at the national, state, and administrative area levels are covered. The payment includes all sectors under Chapter One, such as civil servants, the army, organized forces, and foreign missions.
However, some institutions—particularly at the state level—told Standard Zone News they have repeatedly received empty checks, making it difficult to access actual cash.
