On Thursday, the president assented to the Fiscal, Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission Act, 2025, paving the way for the establishment of an independent body mandated to oversee the allocation and use of national revenues. The move is seen as a significant step toward improving transparency and accountability in public finance management.
“President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Thursday signed into law the Fiscal, Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission Act 2025,” the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) said in a statement. The law was formally presented to the president by the Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly, Jemma Nunu Kumba.
Lawmakers say the Act operationalises a constitutional commission that, for years, existed largely in name but lacked a legal framework to function effectively. Once established, the Fiscal, Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission will be responsible for tracking how funds approved in the national budget are distributed from the central government in Juba to states, counties and administrative areas.
In practical terms, the commission is expected to serve as an independent referee of public finances. Its mandate includes monitoring the collection and sharing of national revenues—particularly oil income—and ensuring that funds are allocated fairly and transferred on time to lower levels of government.
The commission will also advise the national government on revenue sharing formulas, taking into account population size, development needs and the provision of basic services.
Crucially, if funds approved by parliament fail to reach their intended destinations, the commission will be expected to flag the problem and raise concerns with relevant authorities.
The law comes against the backdrop of long-standing complaints from states and counties over delayed, inconsistent or unclear transfers from the national government. Such delays have often resulted in unpaid salaries for civil servants, stalled development projects, and weakened the delivery of essential services.
Supporters of the Act argue that the commission could help bring order and predictability to a system many have described as opaque and centralised.
Legislators say it will promote transparency, particularly in the allocation of nationally collected funds to states, counties and administrative areas, the PPU added.
However, analysts caution that the law’s impact will ultimately depend on political will. The commission must be properly constituted, adequately funded and allowed to operate independently to fulfil its mandate.
Members of Parliament passed the Act in September 2024 to pave the way for an independent body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the national budget under the Appropriation Act.
For now, lawmakers describe the new law as a hopeful step—one that, if observed, could finally ensure public resources serve the people they are meant to benefit.
