JUBA – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Friday tasked the newly appointed Minister of Finance and Planning, Athian Diing Athian, to urgently address the runaway inflation in the country.
Kiir made the directives at the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed government officials in Juba on Friday.
They include Adut Salva Kiir, Presidential Envoy on Special Programs, Joseph Mum Majak, Minister of Investment; and Athian Diing Athian, Finance Minister.
A statement from the presidential press unit stated that Kiir directed the new officials to strengthen the country’s leadership and improve service delivery.
“President Salva Kiir Mayardit has sworn in newly appointed senior government officials, including the Presidential Envoy on Special Programs, the Minister of Finance and Planning, and the Minister of Investment,” it said.
It said Kiir called on the newly appointed officials and the broader government to embrace teamwork and collaboration to meet the growing expectations of the South Sudanese.
It said a 74-year-old president tasked the minister of finance to stabilize runaway inflation and restore discipline in the ill financial sector.
“Focusing on the Minister of Finance, President Kiir emphasized the urgent need to stabilize the economy and restore discipline in financial management.”
Kiir also called for greater transparency across financial institutions, noting that it is key in regaining the trust of both citizens and international partners.
He tasked the minister of investment to attract investment into the country.
Kiir, on Wednesday night, appointed his daughter Adut Salva Kiir as the presidential envoy on special programs.
The position had been vacant since February 2025, when its previous holder, Benjamin Bol Mel, was elevated to the presidency.
He took over as vice president and chairman of the economic cluster, replacing James Wani Igga.
Adut’s entry into the post marks a return of active leadership in an office seen as central to South Sudan’s fragile state-building journey.
Adut is not entirely new to public life. Beyond her political family background, she is the founder of the Adut Salva Kiir Foundation, an organization that has engaged in community-focused initiatives.
