Arol D. Jok (ideasouthsudan.blog)
Fellow Countrymen,
It is no secret that South Sudan is currently in the throes of what is perhaps the worst financial crisis this nation has ever witnessed. With skyrocketing prices, runaway inflation, and a heavily disrupted oil export sector that has effectively shut down our economic lifeline, South Sudan is at a seminal juncture in the nation’s history that can either make or break us, depending on how the crisis is handled. The situation is, to put it mildly, highly delicate.
It is against this backdrop that the new Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Marial Dongrin, was recently appointed to steer our economy away from this path of destruction. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly support Dr. Dongrin and call for the president, the international community, and the country at large to give our able Minister the due support and time that he requires so that he can effectively do his job.
Dear Mr. President
I would like to first start by acknowledging His Excellency, President Salva Kiir Mayardit, for his concerted efforts in seeking for the right Finance Minister to handle this crisis. Dear Mr. President, there is no doubt that you made an excellent choice by appointing a vibrant, energetic, well-educated and highly experienced person in Dr. Marial Dongrin. This demonstrates your commitment towards putting the right people in the right positions to set our nation on the right track. With Dr. Dongrin, South Sudan is privileged to have at the helm of the nation’s economy the most competent professionals possible, especially during this crucial time in our history when South Sudan is experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis.
With that being said, Mr. President, I would like to humbly beseech you to honour the support you pledged to give Dr. Dongrin during his swearing-in ceremony. For the Minister of Finance and Planning to perform his mandate as expected and as instructed by you, he needs your full support and total cooperation from other government agencies.
Jumpstarting the economy, which is what Dr. Marial is essentially being tasked with, is not an easy thing to accomplish. The Minister needs not only political support but technical assistance as well in order to fulfill his mandate. Therefore, I urge the president to provide the Minister ample time and necessary tools to jumpstart the economy.
Dear International Partners And Financial Institutions
Your continual financial support of the Republic of South Sudan over the course of numerous upheavals and conflicts is unquestionable and commendable. The people of South Sudan are eternally grateful for the role you have played in stabilising this country through your support. Nonetheless, it must be pointed out that the key role of the World Bank, IMF, and African Development Bank is to invest in long-term economic solutions such as financing agriculture, local industrialization, energy stabilisation, currency stabilisation, and facilitating international transactions. In order for your support to be sustainable and truly beneficial to this nation, a long-term vision and strategy is paramount. Short-term, temporary solutions will do little to remedy our endemic and systemic challenges. They are mere bandages placed on deep wounds that will continue to fester if not sealed with an effective, long-term strategy. The millions of dollars poured into the country every year through humanitarian assistance only provide short-term solutions and do not allow for social sustainability and inclusive development. I therefore urge for the international community to adapt a long-term approach when it comes to South Sudan’s financial woes.
Dear Public
I would like to urge for public confidence in our new Minister. I understand the widespread pessimism amongst the people of South Sudan especially given the poor performance of some of past finance ministers as well as the overall scourge of corruption that bedevils our country. It is easy to dismiss Dr. Dongrin as being just another corrupt individual who will plunder our coffers like some of his predecessors. However, this pessimism does us no good and we need to give Dr. Dongrin the benefit of doubt and the room to execute his economic recovery measures. Let us not become victims of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I understand that it is not easy to convince the public of an idea or belief that they so strongly hold, especially when the public is economically deprived. As the Relative Deprivation Theory postulates, the negative effect associated with judgments of one’s own status varies based on the subjective assessment of one’s status as a result of resentment, anger, dissatisfaction and other deprivation-related emotions. Deprivation has obviously skewed the public’s confidence in Dr. Dongrin. Therefore, whereas many people understand the complex nature of our economic crisis, the public will still blame whoever is occupying the seat of the Minister of Finance because he or she is a convenient target.
Let us not fall into this trap. I urge you all to give Dr. Dongrin your full support and see what he can do in this role. Patience is a virtue. Also recognise that the Minister is not a miracle performer and that the economic problems facing us today require, in the words of Manchester United’s former coach Rangnick, “an open heart surgery.” This surgery will only be possible with full public confidence in the leader and the President’s full support.
In conclusion, it is possible that with the right support and sufficient time, the Minister is in a position to successfully deliver and restore relative economic stability to our nation. General Rin Tueny, the Governor of Lakes State, has already demonstrated that with the support of the people and the President, it is possible to change things in this nation for the good. Before his appointment, Lakes State was largely riddled with cattle rustling, theft, banditry, and armed communal conflicts. Within 6 months, Gen. Rin managed to do what many believed was impossible: bring stability to Lakes State. The same is possible with our economy under the direction of our new Finance Minister. There is no doubt in my mind that Dr. Marial Dongrin has the potential to be the Rin Tueny that our economy so desperately needs.
I therefore look forward to seeing what he will accomplish during his tenure.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙃𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙅𝙪𝙗𝙖 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙛𝙛.
