In a statement seen by Sudans Post, Mel said the government is working to consolidate oil sector management under a unified framework that promotes coordination among institutions and maximises the sector’s impact on the economy.
“The government is committed to turning our oil wealth into a true national blessing — driving job creation, infrastructure development, and improved public services for all citizens,” the Vice President stated.
The renewed push toward petroleum sector reform follows a high-level meeting between Mel and Alier Bullen Ngong, the Chairperson of the National Petroleum and Gas Commission.
During the meeting, the Vice President urged the Commission to take proactive steps in protecting and utilising South Sudan’s most valuable natural resource.
He said the reforms are part of President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s directive to ensure that South Sudan’s oil benefits all its people — not just as a policy goal, but as “a lived experience.”
In response, Alier expressed the Commission’s full support for the directive, stressing that they are working to convert petroleum wealth into a reliable engine for economic transformation and service delivery.
The engagement signals the government’s intent to strengthen institutional coordination and shift public expectations around how oil revenues are managed and distributed in Africa’s youngest nation.
14 years since South Sudan attained independence, the country has remained heavily dependent on foreign aid despite its oil and mineral abundance.
Corruption and mismanagement of oil revenue have hampered service delivery by the government to its people and grounded the economy. The country remains among the least developed, according to the United Nations.
The country’s struggle to capitalise on its oil wealth has also been compounded by the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
