The South Sudanese presidential affairs ministry  is spending more money than the entire budget of a South Sudanese state, leaked documents have revealed.

Financial documents show that the expenditures of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs in the last fiscal year were greater than the budget allocated to Warrap State which was 14.4 billion SSP, for example, while the ministry’s proposed budget for the fiscal year 2023/2024 exceeds the budget estimates of the entire Warrap State which is 13.8 billion SSP.

Warrap State, home to President Salva Kiir Mayardit, has been receiving the highest budget in transfers from the national government. 

According to a financial report of the 2022/2023 fiscal year, spending on salaries in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs was 4.3 billion SSP which is slightly higher than what was budgeted.

Similarly, for example in the 2022/2023 budget, Warrap State received 14.4 billion SSP in transfers and Northern Bahr el Ghazal State received 13 billion SSP.

In the proposed 2023/2024 national budget, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs has been allocated 32.6 billion, while Warrap State’s transfers are proposed to be 13.8 billion.

Notably, another finance ministry document says the total outturn for the presidential affairs ministry in 2022/2023 Q3 was 80.6 billion SSP.

According to the highlights of the 2023/2024 proposed annual budget, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs’ priorities include provision of security to the president, first vice president, and vice presidents, organization of governors forum and rallies for peace, coordination and monitoring of the president’s priorities, optimization of the healthcare of the president and provision of security and protection for the president, residences and the State House.

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), which promotes civil society values, said the national budget for the financial year 2023/2024 should allocate more money to the upcoming general elections and social services.

“The allocation of more budget to the presidency is disturbing and it is showing a bad image of the national budget for the financial year 2023/2024. The country is in the face of ending political transition from violence to peace where elections, transitional security arrangements and integration of returnees from Sudan should be the top priority and not expenses of the presidency,” Yakani said.

The renowned civil society activist called on the lawmakers to seriously engage in adjusting the allocations proposed in this year’s national budget.