Citizens of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state have expressed concerns that the newly approved fiscal year budget for 2025-2026 is inadequate to address pressing public needs.
The concerns come after Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Council of Ministers passed a SSP 40.5 billion budget on August 15, 2025, during a council meeting chaired by Governor Simon Uber Mawut.
A public statement from the governor’s office stated that the budget passed during the Eleventh Council of Ministers meeting would be submitted to parliament for further discussion.
In response, Maria Angelo, a resident of Aweil Town, expressed her concerns about the budget’s ability to meet public interests.
She stated that there is need for more community consultation before finalizing the fiscal year budget.
“There should have been a consultation from the communities, and then the priorities on what needs to be done have also to be said clearly before a budget is just assumed, that budget is, of course is not clearly stating what that budget is for,” Maria Angelo lamented.
Garang Mayen Bol, another resident of Aweil East County, argued that the approved budget falls short of meeting public service demands.
He mentioned critical priorities such as road construction, health services, education, and the impending threat of flooding in the state, which he thinks the cabinet did notput into consideration.
“It will not meet public demand, because now there are no activities that have been shown to indicate that this government is working in the interest of the citizens within the state. One of the great challenges now is the flood,” Mayen stated.
Joseph Angok Mayath, executive director of Empowering Village Initiatives, also criticized the budget for lacking essential priorities. He called for increase in funding before it reaches the state parliament.
He argued that the budget is too shallow to meet the growing public demand, such as improving infrastructure and pressing needs in the state.
He argued that budget is too shallow to address the growing needs of our communities, including infrastructure improvements.
“So, to truly meet the growing demands of our communities and the citizens, and to improve the quality of life for our citizens as well, I advocate for an increase in the budget allocation. We must anticipate future challenges and explore innovative spending mechanisms and revenue-generating strategies,” Mayath appealed.
Northern Bahr el Ghazal citizens are calling for a more responsive budget but it remains to be seen how state officials will respond to their urgent plea for change
